Illustr. Kathy Coates
Ages 4-8
Hardcover, 32 pages
11.1 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
Pelican Publishing
ISBN: 978-1589805828
Buy the book
In Austin, Texas where I lived for six years, Mexican free-tailed bats are big celebrities. Many people have bat houses on their property, and they're as proud of them as they are of their birdhouses. They know the important place bats have in the ecosystem, and on Spring and Summer nights, throngs of tourists flock to the Congress Avenue bridge "to see the bats fly out." It's a sight to behold, the largest urban bat colony in the world, like a massive cloud emerging from beneath the bridge and up into the night, all at once! (And if you don't believe me, see what other people say about the biggest bat watch on the planet).
This book is a good way to introduce children to the facts about bats -- and right now, given how vampire-laden are the current books for children and tweens, some factual information is welcome! Smith's text makes bat facts come alive for readers, who learn (among other things) that they are diurnal, while bats are nocturnal. There's lots more, but I won't spoil it for you. Elegant, realistic paintings by Kathy Coates give kids both detailed close-ups and lyrical images of these amazing animals against the Texas landscape.
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Ceci Miller is co-publisher of BooktiMookti Press, home of the Runt Farm chapter book series. She is also a children’s author, book editor, and owner of CeciBooks editorial and book publishing consultancy for authors and indie publishers. See some of her book projects here.
