Beavers

by Rachel Poliquin, Nicholas John Frith (Illustrator)

Overview

Beavers, the first book in the new middle-grade nonfiction Superhero Field Guide series by Rachel Poliquin and award-winning illustrator Nicholas John Frith, is a delightfully informative, laugh-out-loud full-color look at the most unsuspecting of animal heroes, perfect for readers who like their facts served with a large dose of humor. 

Meet Elmer, an ordinary beaver. He may not be as mighty as a lion or as dangerous as a shark. He may be squat and brown. But never underestimate a beaver.
     I can almost hear you saying, “But aren’t beavers just lumpy rodents with buck teeth and funny flat tails?”
    Yes, they are! And believe it or not, those buck teeth and funny flat tails are just a few of the things that make beavers extraordinary.
    Humorous and engaging, Beavers is the first book in the new highly illustrated nonfiction Superpower Field Guide series, inspiring readers to laugh, think, and view the world around them with new eyes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544949874
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	12/04/2018
Series:	Superpower Field Guide
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	321,437
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Rachel Poliquin is a writer engaged in all things orderly and disorderly in the natural world. With a cross-disciplinary background in visual arts, cultural history and natural history, she holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of British Columbia and a Post-Doctoral Degree in History from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Poliquin is the author of the Superpower Field Guide series, and has also written for Science Friday, The Believer Magazine, and The New York Times.
www.rachelpoliquin.com
Twitter: @ravishingbeasts
Instagram: @rachelpoliquin
 

Nicholas John Frith is the author/illustrator of Hector and Hummingbird, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's book Prize 2016 and winner of the inaugural Klaus Flugge Prize, as well as the book Hello, Mr. Dodo! and the Superpower Field Guide series. He lives and works on the coast of Dorset, England.
www.nicholasjohnfrith.com 
Twitter: @njfrith.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2018

Gr 2–5—In this guide to a beaver's "superpowers," a nameless woman identifies and explains what is remarkable about beavers, as exemplified by a fictional pair she calls Elmer and Irma. The narrator introduces each superpower, or trait, by describing it as a special ability, then explaining how it works. Text boxes and quizzes are interspersed throughout and add a bit of fun. The illustrations, which have a vintage look to them, alternate between comic depictions of rodents and more detailed diagrams that identify different physical features of beavers and their habitats. The text is clear and friendly, though it occasionally tries too hard to be cute. The book's usefulness for students is hampered by the lack of a table of contents but it is helped by a clear glossary and a detailed further reading section. VERDICT Though it might take some hand selling, this is a serviceable addition to most libraries.—Sheri Reda, Wilmette Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

2018-08-27

Who knew the life and times of the beaver could be so fascinating?

Poliquin and Frith have created a nonfiction page-turner in this fascinating guide to Castor canadensis (and, to some extent, their Eurasian counterparts, Castor fiber). The facts unfold via the story of a Canadian beaver named Elmer and his partner of six years, Irma. Elmer and Irma are introduced to readers as superheroes of the animal kingdom, with a series of superpowers that include "chainsaw teeth," an "ever-toiling tail," and "paws of power." Although these examples may sound grandiose, Poliquin explains the importance of each in easily digestible chapters that inform and entertain. A gender-equalizing break in Chapter 6 reminds readers that while Elmer may be the star of the book, the same facts are all true for Irma as well. Quizzes throughout test readers' abilities to retain information (and there's a note in the third quiz reminding readers not to write in a library book). Frith's illustrations are an homage to the commercial-art stylings of the late 1950s and early '60s. The designs—a mixture of black ink, pencil, and wax crayon on paper (with digital color)—are amusing but a little too reminiscent of the last century, as every human character in the book is default white. It's a sour taste in an otherwise deliciously sweet dessert. The backmatter provides a glossary and a bibliography but, alas, no pronunciation guide.

Well worth the purchase. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"Eager beavers who likewise find these redoubtable rodents 'utterly gobsmackable!' will find a chewy array of print and web resources to sink their teeth into at the end."—Booklist, STARRED review "Well worth the purchase."—Kirkus "Clear and friendly."—School Library Journal —

From the Publisher