Animal Zombies!: And Other Bloodsucking Beasts, Creepy Creatures, and Real-Life Monsters

Great pictures and interesting

I took this nonfiction children’s book into a third-grade classroom I was subbing in yesterday and the students pounced on me, like they were hungry wolves. I loved it! You should have seen their eyes and electricity filled the air as I started to share the pages with them. It was pure joy.It was actually funny as I shared this book with them because the students kept creeping closer and closer to me as they “supposedly” sat on the floor. They were bouncing around as I flipped through some pages, all the while, they were screaming, “Read that page!” “What was that?” “Was that a garden spider?” “Hey, I saw one of those things in real life!” “Flip that page back!” I was smiling and trying to calm these little bug people down.They seriously loved this book and wanted me to leave it with them but it was a library book that I had checkout. I knew after seeing the cover that I needed to read it. After seeing their reaction and reading it, I might need to purchase a copy for other rooms I sub in.The pictures inside this book are fantastic. As with all National Geographic books I have found, these pictures are bright, colorful and realistic. I could actually see some of the fine pieces of individual hair on some of the insects and the detail on the ceratioid anglerfish was cool and creepy! Seeing all the fine detail inside this fish’s body as she lit up at night was amazing! Then, the mass of tentacles on the giant jellyfish- remarkable!There are tons of facts inside this book. I cannot tell you how many times I said, ‘wow!” as I read this book. I learned a lot and the students learned just a little because I didn’t have time to share with them everything I found fascinating for we spent a great deal of time, just looking at the pictures. I did tell them about the frilled shark. This shark’s picture was incredible and the facts about this creepy, green-eyed serpent got the students real excited. The student’s learned about the ghost octopus, the glass frog, and the peacock mantis shrimp. There is a ton of information in this book, from exotic creatures to ticks to foot fungus.It’s a fun and entertaining book and one that I highly recommend.

The movies and television have no problem sharing their zombie frights. But, how would you feel if you found out that zombies really do exist? The parasitic emerald jewell wasp, Amplulex compressa, turns its victim cockroaches into zombies by paralyzing them with venom and taking control over them as a host for its larvae. Other parasites that turn prey into zombies are hair worms, liver flukes, Toxoplasma gondii, flat worms and Leuchochloridium to name a few. No need to fear, if you like being in environments that can potentially put you in harms way of zombie parasites, readers can find a list of tools for your Zombie Emergency Kit. Make sure you keep water, food, flashlights, duct tape a radio and first aid supplies just to be safe.The world is filled with vapmires too. We know that mosquitos like to suck blood and so do vampire bats and leeches. But, have no fear there is a list of supplies called Bat Man Gear that will help you explore those bat filled caves. This creepy guide also covers sinister sea monsters too. The Portuguese man of war which stings and can kill. The conus geographus snail shoots venom from its nose. There are sharks, a speeding peacock mantis shrimp, super squid and more.If you are prepared to be creeped out this book has creatures you can see and even some you won’t. There are snakes and spiders that sew. Bone digging porcupines and werewolves are here as well. Parents, teachers and fans of things that go bump in the night will enjoy the Meet the Monsters, Freaky Facts, and Did You Know snippets on each page. There are more resources and a glossary on the back pages. And as always fantastic photos of these cool animal zombies.

Living up to expectations for a National Geographic book, ANIMAL ZOMBIES is full of eye-catching, vividly detailed, photographs of animals, scientists, and the occasional supernatural. The book is divided into five fun chapters on THE LIVING DEAD, BLOODSUCKERS, CREEPS FROM THE DEEP, ANIMAL ALIENS, and ANIMAL MONSTER MASH.In addition to a number of gross, terrifying, and, yes, truly fascinating animals (I loved the entries on wolves and tawny frogmouths), each chapter also profiles a "Mad Scientist." Chana provides insights into how they got started, their research, and interesting or unique things to know about their field.Overall, this is a wonderful book that will appeal to kids and adults who love animals, devour facts, and enjoy getting a little scared. As an added bit of fact and fun, mixed amongst the delightful and gross animals, is an evaluation of the pop culture and myths surrounding Zombies, Vampires, the Kraken, Aliens, and Werewolves. This book is a great STEM addition to any classroom or library.

We recently received this book as a gift for our family. It is so cool. The text is so well written -clear and concise. The pictures are out of this world. We all read it cover to cover and found ourselves discussing it around the table at dinner. Thanks CS for a crowd pleaser.

My kid saw this at a book fair and he begged for us to order it for him. He loves learning about animals and all the kids love the vibrant photos. Lots of good information and fun facts. Would definitely recommend this book!