The Secret Life of the Little Brown Bat (Secret Life)

by Laurence Pringle (Author) Kate Garchinsky (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Series: Secret Life

Learn about a year in the life of a little brown bat named Otis. This gorgeous and lyrical picture book follows a year in the life of a little brown bat named Otis as he learns to be a hunter, escape predators, and find a mate.

Stunning, realistic illustrations celebrate the beauty of these mysterious creatures as readers learn important facts through an engaging and fascinating story. The book also includes back matter with more in-depth information, a glossary, and further resources.

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$17.95

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School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 2-5--Otis is a little brown bat living a mysterious life. Pringle reveals with captivating detail this amazing creature's growth, from his early beginnings learning to hunt and fly solo to capturing prey using ultrasonic sounds. This book is a delightful work of narrative nonfiction that communicates facts and terminology about brown bats alongside beautiful artwork. Done in pastels and aqua crayons on sanded paper, the illustrations are an enchanting addition to the text. From the night scenes to the sun slowly dawning, Garchinsky expertly captures various scenes of bat life, such as Otis capturing a moth for dinner. While the overall story is written in an accessible way for younger readers, Pringle also includes a solid amount of information in the back matter, including an explanation of the name Otis (the species' scientific name is Myotis lucifugus) and a call to action about the white nose disease that is threatening brown bat populations. VERDICT An excellent choice for elementary nonfiction collections.--Molly Dettmann, Norman North High School, OK

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Pringle weaves information about the lives of these misunderstood mammals into his imagined-from-facts tale...this veteran science writer mostly avoids anthropomorphization, describing actions with lively language that's fun to read aloud... The conclusion of this simple story demonstrates the importance of these bats to our lives...Appropriate vocabulary introduces relevant concepts. Garchinsky's darkly atmospheric illustrations...will show well at storytime. A(n) effective appreciation." - Kirkus Reviews

★ "Pringle reveals with captivating detail this amazing creature's growth...This book is a delightful work of narrative nonfiction that communicates facts and terminology...alongside beautiful artwork. (T)he illustrations are an enchanting addition to the text...(and) Garchinsky expertly captures various scenes of bat life. (W)ritten in an accessible way for younger readers, Pringle also includes a solid amount of information in the back matter...and a call to action about the white nose disease that is threatening brown bat populations. An excellent choice for elementary nonfiction collections." - School Library Journal, starred review

★ "(A) lively, engaging account of one animal's life...(t)he impressionistic illustrations use soft strokes of color to portray the bat and his world. A beautiful, informative picture book about this common North American bat." - Booklist, starred review
Laurence Pringle
Laurence Pringle has written more than 100 books for children and teenagers, including the Strange and Wonderful series and The Secret Life of the Red Fox, among other award-winning science titles. Internationally, his books have sold more than 3 million copies.

Kate Garchinsky was born and raised just upstream of John Heinz Natural Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum and received her BFA in illustration from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with a focus in nature and children's literature. She is the illustrator of several of the Secret Life books by Laurence Pringle.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781629796017
Lexile Measure
630
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Astra Young Readers
Publication date
September 11, 2018
Series
Secret Life
BISAC categories
JNF003140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Mammals
JNF003320 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Nocturnal
Library of Congress categories
Bats
Life cycles
Little brown bat

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