The Big, Bad Book of Beasts: The World's Most Curious Creatures
Flip open this book to any page. As in a medieval bestiary, you will find descriptions and illustrations of fantastic creatures, such as aardvarks, bombardier beetles, chupacabras, dodos, and elasmosaurs. Some exist, while others are mythological. A few are recently extinct, while others are known from their fossilized remains. All have physical or behavioral traits that test credulity. In alphabetical order, author Largo profiles unusual animals, recounting the evolution, discovery, study, and characterization of beasts as small as amoebas and as large as whales, and he speculates on how belief in fictional beings such as banshees, harpies, and Sasquatch developed. While entertaining, Largo’s encyclopedia presents a substantial dose of scientific fact and theory, especially in sidebars such as Why Moths Are Attracted to Light and Pluralizing Animals. A handy book for browsing and occasional reference. --Rick Roche