Review: The magical mysterious world of the Stingray
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 15, 2013
Paula Steen is a naturalist and a keen observer of the animal kingdom and she writes about her specialty very well. This book may be geared for children but it is a very valuable tool of adults as well.One of the many quality facets of this book is the fine set of photographs that accompany every page. We are first introduced to the facts: sting rays are fish - `some of the coolest fish in the sea' - and have flat round bodies made of cartilage, eyes on top of their bodies that allow them to see even when buried (practically) in the sand, spiracles behind their eyes for breathing when their bottom side gills are flat against the sand, their mouth and nostrils are on the bottom of their bodies, and tails that protect them by being sharp and containing venom. Steen proceeds to explain their habitats and their habits including the way they swim, how and what they eat, and how they find their food by their sense of smell and special sensing organs. She shows what baby stingrays are like and how they grow.Then comes the fascinating section on the types of stingrays - the pink whipray off Africa, India and Australia who grow to the amazing size of 6 by 16 feet!, the bluespotted stingray  - tiny but with venom in its tail, the round ribbontail stingray off Australia, the yellow stingray in the coral reefs off Florida and Central America, the southern stingray off the eastern coasts of the Americas, the eagle rays who can fly above water and grow huge, the manta ray (can weigh up to 3000 pounds), skates, electric rays - able to give a  shock of 200 volts to its prey, and the guitar fish and saw fish who are in the same family as the stingrays. She also explains the similarities between stingrays and sharks.Of all the books available on the single subject of Stingrays, this is probably the finest. Not only is the book written so that children can understand and appreciate it, but it is so rich in photographic imagery that it is bound to become a favorite of children and adults alike.  Highly recommended as means of introducing children to the wonderful world of nature! Grady Harp, September 13