Kaleidoscope of Creatures

This is a very attractive book looking at the use of colour in the natural world (excluding plants). I liked the way each section focused on a specific colour or pattern and used a selection of both reasonably well known and unusual creatures to illustrate each. While the actual information included is very limited, it does give enough to highlight the point being made and hopefully spark interest to take the reader further. I found it a beautifully illustrated book which I'm sure will issue well in libraries.

Animals are amazing creatures, and their colours always amaze me. Learning about them through their colours was so much fun. This may be a children's book, but I'm sure many adults (like me) learn a lot from them! Who knew iguanas turn orange for love? That is awesome! Oh and the illustrations and the design is suberp. Job well-done!

Kaleidoscope of Creatures
Written by Cath Ard
Illustrated by Greer Stothers

Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wide Eyed Editions for my DRC of this book in exchange for an impartial review. This review was written voluntarily and all opinions herein are my own.

I loved this so much. Even before reading it – just by seeing the cover and blurb, I knew I was going to love it and that’s why I requested it. It was a very informative, vibrant, and exciting book to read, and it’s a great resource for all readers – especially young readers.

SO MUCH research went into this book, and it’s really clear to see. This book essentially details, explores, and explains why animals appear the way they do. Why are some animals striped or spotted? Why are some animals green, yellow, or pink? Why do some have fur or scales? I personally learnt a lot from this book, and it’s a resource I’ll be holding on to for a long time.

The illustrations are top notch! They are really vivid and detailed, and the text is legible as well. I appreciate the index in the back, as it has a list of all animals mentioned and the pages you can find them.

I highly recommend this book!

Kaleidoscope of Creatures is a feast for the eyes - a dazzlingly colourful guide through the animal kingdom.

Quarto's 'Wide Eyed' range aims to enchant young readers by creating books that 'look and feel likebeautiful objects'. This, written by Cathy Ard and illustrated by Greer Stothers, fits neatly.

As a non-fiction text, it is well organised and clear. I like the titling of the spreads, which makes it clear that we are being guided through the colour spectrum rather than through the different domains of the animal kingdom.

I thought the 'Changing Colour' spread was particularly well-organised, showing with symmetry how come creatures change their appearance between seasons.

I found the Animal Family Tree difficult to navigate - the 'echinoderms' seem to stem from the vertebrates branch, though it is coloured orange like the other invertebrates. It is unclear whether the turtle/tortoise is on the amphibian or reptile branch on the left-hand side.

The book is nonetheless really well-researched and a vivid and unusual coterie has been brought together.

A delight for the budding David Attenboroughs in your life.

‘Kaleidoscope of Creatures’ is fascinating from start to finish. The cover is set out like a kaleidoscope with illustrations of animals that look like they would shift if you rotated the book.

The book explores the reasons behind the different skin of animals from colours to patterns and textures such as feathers and fur. It begins with an animal family tree, a concise depiction of the classification of animals and a short list of what each group has in common. The next page shows illustrations of different examples of ‘skin’ whether that be covered in fur, feathers or scales. The patterns are fascinating to look at.
The next section of the book looks at animals grouped by colour and the reasons behind it e.g. camouflage, to stand out, to alert to danger. There are illustrations of the animals on each page and facts about each one. A huge variety of animals are included, both well-known and unusual species. I find something new each time I look at these pages.

After colours, the book goes through patterns like spots and stripes, animals that change colour for a variety of reasons (age, the seasons, environment, mood), animals with fake markings and those that can disguise themselves. The pages continue to be jam-packed with illustrations and facts. Finally, a glossary rounds out this brightly coloured trip through the animal kingdom.

This is the sort of book I would have loved as a child (and still do!) as I could have spent many hours poring over the pages to learn something new and spot something I hadn’t seen before. This book has so many uses - it ties into a myriad of topics taught in Primary schools and would be a brilliant stimulus for artwork. I can’t wait to use this book in my classroom!