Strangest Animals (American Museum of Natural History Easy Readers, Level 2) - Hardcover

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City is one of the largest and most respected museums in the world. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has collected more than 32 million specimens and artifacts relating to the natural world and human cultures. The Museum showcases its amazing treasures in the exhibit halls, and behind the scenes a scientific staff of more than 200 is at work on research and new discoveries. Millions of people from around the world visit AMNH each year. Plan a trip to the Museum, home of the world's largest collection of dinosaur fossils, or visit online at amnh.org.

The American Museum of Natural History leveled readers are designed to more specifically tailor reading material to the skill set of emergent readers. This book, at level 2, builds reading confidence with simple sentence structures. Though not explicitly stated in the text, the book is arranged into broadly generalized categories including symbiotic relationships, reproductive oddities, defensive adaptations, and bizarre ways of procuring food. The majority of animals included are insects, amphibians, and ocean life, but they represent a variety of physical exceptionalities, such as the archerfish’s ability to shoot its prey with water, or the spittlebug’s use of its own saliva to build its nest, that will delight kids with their weirdness. Full-color photographs are the perfect support for new readers, providing instant visual clues and context for unfamiliar words. Repetition of common words coupled with a page-turning topic make this an appropriate choice for those new to independent reading. Grades 1-3. --Erin Anderson