Fact Friday: Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating

Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating. 48 p. Alfred A. Knopf/ Random House Children's Books, February, 2016. 9780553512274.

Are you in the mood for some weird animals? Zoologist/ author Jess Keating has collected seventeen animals that have one "weird" trait in common. They are all pink. Pink is for Blobfish is the first in a series aptly named, World of Weird Animals. The eye-catching cover will draw kids in and the attractive design, unusual pink animals and intriguing information will keep them interested. Each animal gets a double-page spread. An up-close-and-personal photo on the left page is paired with a cartoon of the animal and lots of extra information in a sort of blobbish thought bubble. Formal scientific stuff like species name, habitat, etc., reside on a strip running along the right margin, with the cartoon and the fun facts taking up the remainder of the page. A world map shows where each animal lives. A glossary defines new terminology which is also bolded in the text. The last page lists online resources, magazines and books as well as the names of six fields of science that animal lovers might study.

Pink is for Blobfish is just the ticket to get kids talking and sharing and thinking about animals.