The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat

by Laurence Pringle, Kate Garchinsky (Illustrator)

Overview

Learn about a year in the life of a little brown bat named Otis.

This gorgeous and lyrical picture book follows a year in the life of a little brown bat named Otis as he learns to be a hunter, escape predators, and find a mate. Stunning, realistic illustrations celebrate the beauty of these mysterious creatures as readers learn important facts through an engaging and fascinating story. The book also includes back matter with more in-depth information, a glossary, and further resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635924992
Publisher:	Astra Publishing House
Publication date:	11/03/2020
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Laurence Pringle has written more than one hundred books for children and teenagers, including the Strange and Wonderful series and the Secret Life series, among other award-winning science titles. Internationally, his books have sold more than three million copies.

Kate Garchinsky was born and raised just upstream of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum and received her BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with a focus on nature and children's literature. Visit penguinart.com.

Editorial Reviews

Pringle weaves information about the lives of these misunderstood mammals into his imagined-from-facts tale…this veteran science writer mostly avoids anthropomorphization, describing actions with lively language that's fun to read aloud… The conclusion of this simple story demonstrates the importance of these bats to our lives…Appropriate vocabulary introduces relevant concepts. Garchinsky's darkly atmospheric illustrations…will show well at storytime. A(n) effective appreciation.” - Kirkus Reviews

★ “Pringle reveals with captivating detail this amazing creature’s growth…This book is a delightful work of narrative nonfiction that communicates facts and terminology…alongside beautiful artwork. (T)he illustrations are an enchanting addition to the text…(and) Garchinsky expertly captures various scenes of bat life. (W)ritten in an accessible way for younger readers, Pringle also includes a solid amount of information in the back matter…and a call to action about the white nose disease that is threatening brown bat populations. An excellent choice for elementary nonfiction collections.” - School Library Journal, starred review

★ “(A) lively, engaging account of one animal's life…(t)he impressionistic illustrations use soft strokes of color to portray the bat and his world. A beautiful, informative picture book about this common North American bat.” – Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2018
Gr 2–5—Otis is a little brown bat living a mysterious life. Pringle reveals with captivating detail this amazing creature's growth, from his early beginnings learning to hunt and fly solo to capturing prey using ultrasonic sounds. This book is a delightful work of narrative nonfiction that communicates facts and terminology about brown bats alongside beautiful artwork. Done in pastels and aqua crayons on sanded paper, the illustrations are an enchanting addition to the text. From the night scenes to the sun slowly dawning, Garchinsky expertly captures various scenes of bat life, such as Otis capturing a moth for dinner. While the overall story is written in an accessible way for younger readers, Pringle also includes a solid amount of information in the back matter, including an explanation of the name Otis (the species' scientific name is Myotis lucifugus) and a call to action about the white nose disease that is threatening brown bat populations. VERDICT An excellent choice for elementary nonfiction collections.—Molly Dettmann, Norman North High School, OK

School Library Journal

2018-06-25
The activities of a young brown bat over his first summer on his own serve as introduction to the most widespread bat species in the U.S.Pringle weaves information about the lives of these misunderstood mammals into his imagined-from-facts tale of "Otis," named for his species, Myotis lucifugus. As always, this veteran science writer mostly avoids anthropomorphization, describing actions with lively language that's fun to read aloud: "Otis zigs and zags, flutters and dives, hovers and swoops, dips and swerves….He is finding, chasing, catching, and eating insects." To begin, there's a flashback to the bat's puphood, nursing from his mother. The story proceeds with a night of hunting and a detailed explanation of how Otis catches insects in flight. He meets prey whose ability to hear ultrasound clicks helps them escape and a predator, an owl, that he avoids. After the summer feeding, Otis flies far to join others in a cave, mate (mentioned, not described), and hibernate until spring. The conclusion of this simple story demonstrates the importance of these bats to our lives: When they return in the spring, "Lots of mosquitoes and other insects will be in big trouble!" Appropriate vocabulary introduces relevant concepts. The species-threatening white-nose syndrome is described in an afterword for adult readers. Garchinsky's darkly atmospheric illustrations, created with pastels and aqua crayons on textured paper, will show well at storytime.A simple but effective appreciation. (author's note, glossary) (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews