Pink Is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals (World of Weird Animals)

by Jess Keating (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Pinkalicious meets National Geographic in this nonfiction picture book introducing the weirdest, wildest, pinkest critters in the animal kingdom!

Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more.
Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn't it about time to rethink pink?

Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, and cartoonist David DeGrand. 
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Hardcover
$18.99

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Publishers Weekly

Pink is so much more than cupcakes and princesses--some of the most unusual animals on the planet boast rosy hues. Using a playful "pink is for" refrain, Keating (the My Life Is a Zoo series) opens her World of Weird Animals series by familiarizing readers with such creatures as the pink fairy armadillo, pygmy seahorse, Amazon river dolphin, and naked mole rat. Crisp photography combines with DeGrand's goofy cartoon interpretations of each animal. Keating maintains a casual tone while delivering intriguing details about each animal; sidebars chart key statistics, including size, predators, and diet. Readers will never look at pink the same way. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Kathleen Rushall, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (Feb.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4--Keating explores 17 animals, including amphibians, insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals from around the world--all of them pink. The cover alone, which depicts a glossy pink blobfish against a matte black background, will attract plenty of attention, and the subject matter will hold it. The first page, with text in neon pink letters against a black background, teases, "Think you know pink? Think again." Among the animals covered are the naked mole rat, the pinktoe tarantula, and the roseate spoonbill. On each spread, Keating introduces a different strange and fascinating creature; included are a full-body photo, a funny cartoon illustration, a brief paragraph of information, a listing of basic facts, and a high-interest inset, all contrasted against a variety of vibrant backgrounds. A range map is included on the final spread. VERDICT A popular addition for larger collections or those in need of materials on nontypical animals.--Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"The 2016 Ambassador to Young People's Science and Nature books is unquestionably the blobfish." —Shelftalker

"The comical tone makes this particularly inviting, and DeGrand's cartoonish illustrations only add to the fun. A playful introduction to the kookier corners of the animal kingdom." —Booklist

"Readers will never look at pink the same way.... Keating maintains a casual tone while delivering intriguing details about each animal." —Publishers Weekly

"Bratz, Monster High, and their ilk have recently demonstrated that how much attitude pink can pack, but Nature has been onto this fact for quite a while. Keating rattles off seventeen creatures from land, sea, and air whose coloration punches a hole in pink's girly-girl image." —The Bulletin

"Pink is for bubble gum and ballet slippers, sure, but it's also for blobfish, pinktoe tarantulas, pygmy seahorses, Amazon river dolphins [etc.] . . . A map and glossary are the pink icing on the pink cake. It's clearly time to rethink pink, people." —Shelf Awareness
Jess Keating
Jess Keating is a zoologist-turned-author who writes with the sort of wisdom you can only get from multiple crocodile bites and skunk sprays. She's received oodles of state awards and starred reviews for her books, which include the World of Weird Animals nonfiction series and the biographies Shark Lady and Ocean Speaks. She also dabbles in illustration, has her own Youtube Channel, and runs a blog that's popular with teachers and librarians for its exploration of STEM subjects and the writing process. Jess lives with her husband in Ontario, Canada.

Michelle Mee Nutter graduated with a BFA in Illustration from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, 3x3 Illustration, Creative Quarterly and she is the illustrator of the graphic novel Allergic. Nutter lives in Boston, Mass.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780553512274
Lexile Measure
1040
Guided Reading Level
Q
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date
February 02, 2016
Series
World of Weird Animals
BISAC categories
JNF051150 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Zoology
JNF028000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Humor | General
JNF003000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
Animals
Color
Pink

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