Things That Make You Go Yuck!: Extreme Living

Love this series of books, very entertaining! I did say yuck a few times, but learned alot too. Kids will love these, adults too. Impressive writing and layouts.

Love the books

Mother Nature is mind-boggling especially when you consider the all the organisms and creatures which exist, living in the most inhospitable environments possible; environments which we as humans would never be able to survive in, even for a moment. In this book, the comical science nerd team of Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hattan get somewhat serious in communicating to its young readers and those who are young at heart about unbelievably weird creatures, creatures which have to be weirdest, grossest and creepiest imaginable. Creature who, regardless of your age, would in all probability make you go YUCK!, the moment you’d see them. Imagine living and surviving deep in the ocean, freezing temperatures on mountains, hot boiling springs; being total blind or going without any food for extended periods of time. The full color photos, bibliography, trivia questions for each of the six areas these creatures/environments have been broken into, merely add to what book has to offer as a whole. The humorous asides written for each creature throughout the book makes for an enjoyable, informative reading experience, which is why I’ve decided to give this book 5 STARS. I’ve received a copy of this book from the publisher through the Early Reviewer Giveaway on LibraryThing, and the above has been my honest opinion.

As a science writer I appreciate when an author can communicate difficult scientific concepts concisely in a way anyone (even a child) can understand, AND make the content amusing. This combination is so rare, but Dlugos and Hatton have put it all together for us. They take on topics like how the Oxytricha trifallax (oh yeah, that's in there) breaks apart its DNA and swaps with others of its own species to improve its genome (wow!). As a mom of children ages 7-14 I appreciate books that are engaging and keep my kids reading. Some of the big words were too hard for my 7yo, but she kept plowing through the book anyways - reading what she could and marveling that there is something new on every page. There are lots of pictures to keep younger kids interested as an adult reads to them, and the content is so dense that even my difficult-to-impress 14yo admitted he learned something. My daughter's only criticism was that the book never actually made her say "yuck" out loud. She has a stronger stomach than I do - I said "yuck" plenty of times, and laughed out loud a few, as well.

"Things That Make You Go Yuck! Extreme Living" by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton is priceless! As a retired wildlife biologist, I have to say this small book is a treasure trove of interesting and fascinating facts and factoids about a variety of unusual wildlife. I couldn't put it down because of the wide-ranging variety of species included, yet my 5 year old grandson was just as fascinated by it. I'm not sure how the authors did it, but this book quite literally is written in such a way that it will appeal to a large cross section of people, regardless of age or education. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. In the meantime, I heartily recommend this one. And in spite of what my grandson may say, I do NOT look like the blobfish! Even if my wife DOES agree with him. Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review. That fact did not influence my opinion of the book.

"Things That Make You Go YUCK!" series by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton is a collection of weird, disgusting, and just plain yucky animals, plants, critters and creatures. These books are great for kids of all ages whether they inspire future scientists, make you want to get a pet tarantula or just get rid of dust mites. Jenn and Charlie present the information in a funny and information way. Perfect for upcoming Halloween season, learn all about Zombie Ants, Vampire Ants, Blobfish and more!. Enjoy reading about some of your favorite animals, insects and spiders or maybe discover new favorites! "Things That Make You Go Yuck" series by Jenn and Charlie will give you a sense of wonder at the natural world from animals you hope to never meet and those in your own back yard!

Don't let the cover or title fool you. This series is like a Disney or Pixar film - know it's to satisfy a child's curiosity, but plenty to keep the adult entertained as well! Dlugos and Hatton don't hold back, the get gritty, dirty, and above all yucky in this series. It's so much fun to learn the grime of this world in such a comical, but truly educational way. I can't wait to get these books for my niece so we have a bunch of gross to laugh and talk about.

The "Things That Make You Go YUCK!" books by Jenn Dlugos and Charlie Hatton pack a ton of weird and disgusting information about some of Earth's strangest creatures into a spectacular little package. These books are great for the young, the young-at-heart, or those that simply have an interest in facts that are just plain weird. Chronicling information that you never thought you needed to know, these books will make you look at some of your favorite animals in an entirely new way (and some animals that are entirely new to you might just become your favorites!). Nowhere else will you find a series that celebrates the oddities of our natural world the way Dlugos and Hatton's "Things That Make You Go YUCK!" series does.