"'Drip! Drop! Splatter! Splash!' When the rain falls dirt turns into mud and all around the world many animals use mud to survive, protect, thrive, and defend. Elephants use mud to keep cool and to keep away biting bugs. Helmeted Hornbills use mud to keep their nests safe and secure. Platypus uses mud to find tasty treats. Flamingos use mud to protect their eggs. Bats use mud to add minerals to their diet. And people use mud for fun! A fun and colorful book about the many ways animals use mud in their daily lives. (Ages 4-8)"-- KIDSbookshelf "Squishy, marvelous mud is more than mud pie fun.

Readers may already know that some animals (i.e. elephants, pigs, and hippopotamuses) need mud to protect their skin and themselves. Some birds use mud for their nests. Learn hom mud helps other animals. Teachers may want to read this book aloud because Konerman (author) selects descriptive words that express how great the mud is for the animals. The illustrations (found throughout the book) support the text. There are insets with brief, additional information like mud keeping parasites away from the animal's skin or the length of time flamingos need to build their mud nests.

Bold print words are in the glossary. At the end of the book, there is additional information about the animals that appear in the main body of the text. Readers, wishing to to explore further, may find the list of resources (texts and websites) to be a helpful start. Children who love books about animals will probably enjoy this book. Teachers may find the author's note helpful for inspiring young writers."-- Children's Literature.