Curious Critters

Not a nickname for our twins, but rather the title of a stunning new text by award-winning author and photographer, David FitzSimmons.

In their wee days, both He-Twin and She-Twin were enraptured by Lost in the Woods, the tale of a young fawn's first days, photo-illustrated.

When given the opportunity to review Mr. FitzSimmons' Curious Critters, with He-Twin's long-demonstrated interest in all things zoological and She-Twin's preoccupation with beauty and form, it seemed we had two ideal commentarians in-house.

So in their words...

She-Twin:
The pictures are are fantastic of real-life animals. The text is a little below my level (age 10/grade 4), but it would be good for younger kids.  My grade = C.

He-Twin:
The graphics were clear and fascinating. The writing made the facts funny. I'd recommend it for ages 6-8. My grade = B+.

Mom:
I genuinely LOVE this book! Granted, the bulk of the book proper is probably geared for more the 1st/2nd grade level, but at the tail (pun intended) of the book are amazing resources describing the natural history of the creatures featured, life-sized (an overlapping for comparison!) silhouettes, and a glossary with terms so detailed that even at my level (age 46/grade TBD), I learned a few things. The photographs are accessible and non-threatening. Any man that can make a Virginia Opossum seem cute has my full respect! My grade = A.

For more on the book and on Dave FitzSimmons' work, visit FitzSimmonsPhotography.com .