Weird and Wonderful Nature: Tales of More Than 100 Unique Animals, Plants, and Phenomena by Ben Hoare, DK Treasures, 2023, 192 pages.

Adults who buy this book for their children will send them to bed early so that they can have time with this striking book. The book description claims it’s for children 7-9, but it’s engaging for just about every age. Let’s call it a family book. We are drawn to novelty and Ben Hoar celebrates and educates, but more importantly, he feeds us wonder on his Weird and Wonderful Nature tour. Clear, detailed, and colorful photos and illustrations offer an authentic experience.

Organized for Interest

Hoare organizes the book into Chapters about Species, Behavior, Phenomena, and Earth, sharing intrigue about the most unusual animals, plants, fungi, minerals, and more.

Weird and Wonderful Species

The Species chapter includes oddities such as the anglerfish, who swims in the depths of the ocean with a natural fishing rod and a light-up lure that dangles in front of her large jaw. An endangered Mexican salamander can regenerate ripped-off limbs, and parts of its heart and brain in just a few weeks—without even leaving a scar. Can scientists learn from this phenomenon? Not if the few that still survive are lost. Equally as arresting is a see-through frog and the Oxpecker birds’ appreciation of tasty earwax.

Weird and Wonderful Plants

Plants are just as weird. While Chicago might dye its river Green for St. Patrick's Day, The South American “River of Seven Colors “ becomes a liquid rainbow when the sun, wet season, and a particular river weed create a colorful alchemy.

More Weird Wonder

The wonder continues: A desert spider prefers her meals cooked, so she sizzles them on the hot sands. Phantom quartz gets its name from the ghostly apparitions and outlines within the stone. Learn about the phenomenon of clouds that look like layers of floating pancakes. A discovery: Tomato plants wail when thirsty or when their stems are cut, but it’s too high-pitched for humans to hear.

These brief facts offer only a glimpse into the tribute that Hoare offers in his celebration of the richness of nature and science. What would a child or family say when asked if they enjoyed the book Weird and Wonderful Nature? One could easily imagine the response: “Hoard had me at Bone-eating snot flower.”

Amy Lou Jenkins is the author of Every Natural Fact,  Friends, Corners, Howie Tootalot in Yellowstone, and more. Contact her if you would like to forward a book for possible review.

A version of this review previously appeared in a Sierra Club Publication.