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Sabina Konecnalives in a small town near the Moravian Karst. As a little girl, she loved to be read to; as soon as she could read books for herself, she became quite hooked on them. This explains why later she chose to study Czech Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University. During her studies, she discovered the beauty and specialness of Czech. As she comes from an area where an interesting dialect is spoken, dialectology was the area on which she focused her research. Following graduation, for several years she continued to do research work in dialects of the Czech language, at the Czech Academy of Sciences. Throughout this period, she remained in touch with books by working as a proofreader. When the opportunity to work for Albatros Media as a literary editor came along, she grabbed this new challenge with both hands. She very much enjoys her involvement in the creation of beautiful books for children. Zuzana Dreadka Krutais a freelance illustrator, artist and designer who originates from Slovakia. She lives in a small French town near Lyon called Amberieu-en-Bugey, where she has a small studio in which she makes textile toys, paints pictures and creates illustrations for children's books and magazines. Her artistic expression is playful, witty and entertaining in its variety. In addition to being creative, she likes to spend time with her family and dog, listening to music, and getting to know new places, people, tastes and all forms of culture. ""Dreadka has a circus soul, dreams full of fables and a colorful mind.""
A glib huckster presents a pageant of astonishing animal species. Forty-one astounding animals parade across the author's imaginary stage, each accompanied by a recitation of its unusual characteristics. These wonders of Mother Nature have been grouped into seven chapters: animals with glorious coloration, survivors from the age of dinosaurs, animals that disguise themselves, those that have unusual eating habits, animals with unusual body parts, animals that can light up, and those that have excellent self-defense. There are sharks and fish, insects and worms, birds, crabs, reptiles, amphibians, ocean invertebrates, and even some unusual mammals. They come from land and sea, all over the world. Each amazing creature is presented on a page with a title of fancy lettering, a portrait, and a paragraph or two of description that usually includes where it might be found. The tone of the text is showman-like and the language probably difficult for the intended audience to read, but it's appropriate for performance. These creatures are modestly recognizable in the cartoony illustrations. They sport googly eyes and occasional tattoos, hats and canes, as well as smiles. The Czech publisher focuses on a combination of play and education; this lively presentation, part of their World of Amazement series, does just that for children who enjoy learning about the out-of-the-ordinary. From alligator snapping turtle to yeti crab, featured creatures are listed in an index in the back. Not, perhaps, a main attraction, but an entertaining sideshow. --Kirkus Come one, come all to this delightful display of some of the animal kingdom's quirkiest members. Set up like an old-fashioned circus revealing its oddities, the book mixes scientific facts with expressive, cartoonish characters, keeping even tarantulas and blobfish from being too scary or unbecoming. From an armadillo with a dashing top hat to a tattooed goblin shark, kids and their helpers alike will be charmed by this educational title. --Foreword Reviews This is a unique way to get children interested in animals that they might not normally know about. The illustrations are cute and funny, and I think they will inspire kids to look for read pictures of the animals. It would be nice if real photos could be incorporated, but I understand that may not fit with the intent or aesthetic of the book. Jordan Gray, Librarian
