Invented by Animals: Meet the creatures who inspired our everyday technology

by Christiane Dorion, Gosia Herba (Illustrator)

Overview

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BLUE PETER BOOK AWARDS 2022
An international best-seller, translated into over 25 languages

Often human scientists try and solve a problem or invent a new tool and they realise that animals have already invented it for them. In this book you will meet the animal inventors who have shared their super inventing powers to make amazing things for humans.  

We have invented ways of solving problems, making unbelievable materials, ways of getting around and working out how to survive on our own for millions of years. Sometimes when a human inventor gets stuck, they come to the animal kingdom to see if we can help them out.  In this book you will meet the crème de la crème of animal innovators who have created or are in the process of inventing things that people use every day.

Meet the shark who invented a pair of swimming shorts so fast, they were banned from the Olympic games. And meet the snail who has invented a house that stays cool inside even in the desert.   

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711260665
Publisher:	Wide Eyed Editions
Publication date:	04/06/2021
Series:	Designed by Nature
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

About the Author

Christiane Dorion is an award-winning author and educational consultant. She has written a number of children’s books about the natural world and has worked with WWF and other environmental organisations for over 30 years. You can visit her website at www.christianedorion.com.

Gosia Herba is an illustrator and art historian originally from Poland. She's worked as an illustrator of children's books, graphic novels, magazines, music labels, and advertisements for over 12 years. www.gosiaherba.pl

Christiane Dorion is an award-winning author and educational consultant. She has written a number of children's books about the natural world and has worked with WWF and other environmental organisations for over 30 years. You can visit her website at www.christianedorion.com.
Gosia Herba is an illustrator and art historian originally from Poland. She's worked as an illustrator of children's books, graphic novels, magazines, music labels, and advertisements for over 12 years. www.gosiaherba.pl

Table of Contents

Introduction
Master of disguise—Mimic octopus
COLOR WITH STRUCTURE—Blue morpho butterfly
SLEEK SWIMMER—Shark
Master builders
Super-zoom vision—Eagle
Running upside down—Gecko
A terrific tail—Seahorse
Expert paper maker—Paper wasp
A formidable grip—Tree frog
Origami wings—Earwig
Self-repairing teeth—Jumbo squid
Web designer—Spider
The art of flying
Fog catcher—Namib beetle
Bumpy flippers—Humpback whale
Waterproof coat—Penguin
Suntrap fur coat—Polar bear
Diving without a splash—Kingfisher
Controlled flight—Dragonfly
Lead drummer—Woodpecker
Slithering champion—Snake
Low-energy swimming—Jellyfish
Avoiding collision—Locust
Robot world
Tunneling—Shipworm
SECRET LANGUAGE—Dolphin
Sonar—Bat
Mighty recyclers
Prickly quills—Porcupine
Gooey slime—Slug
Blood-sucking needle—Mosquito
A sticky situation—Dog and burrs
Animal innovation lab
Index
 

Editorial Reviews

"An informative, well-illustrated book."—Myra Zarnowski, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2021

Gr 1–5—Young inventors and scientists interested in learning about the features that enable animals to survive in their environments and how these features have been successfully adapted by human inventors will find a great deal of fascinating information here. The book presents double-page spreads about each animal, beginning with the mimic octopus, the blue morpho butterfly, and the shark. The information is presented in a spread that explains the animal's unique feature and how humans have learned to adapt it in their own inventions. For example, the "super-zoom vision" of eagles inspired the development of the miniature camera, and the "formidable grip" of the tree frog has inspired auto tires that stick better to icy, wet roads and self-cleaning, reusable sticky tape. There are also spreads that emphasize how groups of animals (e.g., "Mighty Recyclers") provide humans with ideas. Emphasis is placed on learning to observe the environmentally friendly ways of animals and apply them to everyday life. However, while the facts are fascinating, there are a few questionable aspects. First, the book's subtitle is a little misleading because readers learn about how many features "could be used" or are currently being studied. Second, the animals address readers directly, often explaining how they have shared their secrets with humans. The illustrations, too, emphasize human-like features. The octopus wears glasses and a hat and holds a teacup, and the shark appears to be designing clothes. Still, this is an interesting, appealing book. VERDICT An informative, well-illustrated book about animal adaptations that have sparked human technology.—Myra Zarnowski, City Univ. of New York

School Library Journal