Title: Curious Critters
Author: David FitzSimmons
ISBN-13: 978-193660769-3
Hardcover: 32 pages
Reading level: 4-8 years old
Curious Critters is the first children’s picture book written by David FitzSimmons. This book features a wide variety of animals found in North America. First of all, the images are amazing! The critters are photographed against a white backdrop in order to highlight, and not clutter, the animal’s wondrous colors, and other visual characteristics. David includes a description with each photo that is told from the critter’s perspective, both educational and amusing.
Curious Critters even taught me a thing or two. Did you know a jumping spider has fluid inside its eight legs and with changing pressure, it creates movement? Wow!
There is also a section in the back of the book that covers more factual information on the critters presented in this book to read with children when you have more time. My 4 1/2-year-old also thought it was neat to view the life-size silhouettes of the curious critters. There are questions near the back of the book to spur more interest in young readers and a glossary of terms is included. A few less obvious critters are mentioned in the last page of the book to seek out and find for added entertainment.
Curious Critters is great for boys and girls, alike. The images will leave you in aw and I think it could help spur an interest for nature in young readers. I hope to see more children’s books by David FitzSimmons in the future.
Just some of what kids will learn:
- What turtles and humans have in common
- Why black swallowtail butterflies impersonates their toxic cousins
- How Eastern box turtles can live longer than humans (over 150 years!)
- If squirrels can fly
- Why crayfish grow new legs
- How bats find food
- Why frogs sing (kids love trying their hand at singing like a bullfrog!)
- How jumping spiders jump and why they never have to look over their shoulders
Visit Curious Critters to see more sample photos from the book.
About the Author:
David FitzSimmons is a freelance photographer and writer as well as a university professor. He photographs and writes for various magazines, including Outdoor Photographer, PopularPhotography, and Shutterbug, newspapers, and online publications, and his over-100 calendar credits include numerous titles by BrownTrout and Barnes & Noble. Curious Critters is David’s first children’s picture book.
A former high school English teacher, David has been in education for twenty years. He is a professor at Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio. David holds a Ph.D. in English from Ohio State University, with a specialty in narrative theory-investigating the components of storytelling-something that influences his photography and writing.
David was inspired to photograph and write about nature by his parents, Mick and Judy FitzSimmons, active environmentalists and life-long teachers, and he is assisted in his natural history endeavors by his wife, Olivia, a naturalist, and his two daughters, Sarah and Phoebe.
One of five Sigma Pro photographers in North America, David presents seminars and workshops to a wide variety of audiences, from public school groups and college classes to nature centers and civic organizations. His works have been exhibited at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the National Center for Nature Photography, and the Telluride Photo Festival, among other venues. David’s environmentally focused, multi-media performance, “350: Images of Fragile Earth,” travels widely.
Visit David at: www.fitzsimmonsphotography.com
I received this book for free in order to provide the review. The thoughts and feelings expressed are of my own.
