Masters of Disguise: Camouflaging Creatures & Magnificent Mimics

by Marc Martin, Marc Martin (Illustrator)

Overview

In a seek-and-find extravaganza, stylish illustrations and a brisk text unmask twelve of the most elusive creatures on earth.

Now you see them, now you don’t. Cloaked in a riot of color, pattern, and texture are a dozen animals—from chameleons and polar bears to Gaboon vipers and mimic octopuses—that have mastered the art of fading into the background. Fact-packed pages segue into clever and beautifully illustrated seek-and-find spreads that put readers’ newfound knowledge of each creature and its ecosystem to the test. In a timely and visually arresting novelty book for nature lovers of every stripe, Marc Martin jets budding conservationists around the world to artfully expose the secrets of animal camouflage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536214055
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/26/2021
Pages:	56
Sales rank:	405,107
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marc Martin is an award-winning artist, illustrator, and author. He is the creator of A Forest, Everything & Everywhere and the New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year A River, among others. “In a world of climate change and human encroachment on the natural world,” he says, “better understanding the creatures with whom we share the earth—even when we can't easily see them—is critical. Finding animals, learning about them, and understanding why they hide from predators like us is essential to caring for the planet in today's world.” Marc Martin lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Editorial Reviews

Martin highlights the lives and disguises of one dozen animals hailing from habitats from every continent but Antarctica, with camouflaged-animal searches. Captivating watercolor art immediately draws you in. . . Both art and text enhance scientific accuracy with beauty and playfulness—a rare feat. Sturdy pages, too. Do not hide this book!
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This nonfiction seek-and-find picture book features 12 different animals from all over the world, with unique camouflage and mimicry adaptations. . . Every animal has its own seek-and-find spread, which showcases amazing adaptations at work. The concise text is interesting and digestible for children, and the vibrant illustrations are realistic. Kids who enjoy learning about all different kinds of animals will love this title.
—School Library Journal

This book looks at 12 creatures, from the owl butterfly, to stick insects, to the three-toed sloth, that utilize color and markings to masquerade themselves for protection. . . . The illustrations bring the animals to life with the dynamic use of watercolor, pencil, and digital collage images. Each of the animals is also given a two-page seekand- find section that enables the reader to use the insight gained from the informational pages to locate the hidden animals. . . students will love learning about and searching for each of the hidden animals.
—School Library Connection

From the Publisher

03/01/2021

Gr 2–4—This nonfiction seek-and-find picture book features 12 different animals from all over the world, with unique camouflage and mimicry adaptations. From great horned owls in North and South America to panther chameleons in Madagascar, readers will learn about animals that inhabit (almost) every continent. Each spread provides watercolor illustrations and short informational blurbs. Every animal has its own seek-and-find spread, which showcases amazing adaptations at work. The concise text is interesting and digestible for children, and the vibrant illustrations are realistic. Kids who enjoy learning about all different kinds of animals will love this title. VERDICT Recommended for school and public libraries.—Kristen Higgins, Nanuet P. L., Nanuet, New York

School Library Journal

★ 2021-02-09
Martin highlights the lives and disguises of one dozen animals hailing from habitats from every continent but Antarctica, with camouflaged-animal searches.

Captivating watercolor art immediately draws readers in. Before the title page, a blue-and-green map of Earth’s continents appears, superimposed with 12 circles; each circle contains a portrait of one of the upcoming subjects. Also preceding the title page, the author notes the importance of humans’ protecting habitat in order to save animals, “even when we can’t always see them!” Two double-page spreads are devoted to each animal, starting with chameleons. The first spread for each animal uses an ideal amount of negative space to set off short, titled paragraphs and art that perfectly complements the text. For example, “Sticky Situation” gives fascinating facts about a chameleon’s tongue as one whips across the top of the paragraph. The second double-page spread for each animal offers fun that will entice even 3-year-olds. A small amount of text lets readers know how many of the featured animal are hiding in each lushly painted environment—from eight mimic octopuses to 17 owl butterflies—as well as the names of other animals hidden there. The conversational text clearly defines words such as metamorphosis and opisthoglyphous (having fangs at the back of the upper jaw). Both art and text enhance scientific accuracy with beauty and playfulness—a rare feat. Sturdy pages, too.

Do not hide this book! (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews