The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves

by Lindsey Leigh (Author) Lindsey Leigh (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Crawl into the deepest corners of caves across the world and learn about the wonderfully weird creatures that live their lives in the dark!

Did you know that some creatures that live in the dark have adapted to have no eyes? Or that some dark dwellers have extra long antennae so they can feel their way around their homes? Have you ever seen a troglobite? There many different types of troglobites including the fearless waterfall-climbing cave fish, the mutant Mexican tetra, and the mystifying olm.

Author and illustrator Lindsey Leigh introduces young readers to some of the weirdest and creepiest critters that thrive in the darkest corners of our planet in her uniquely funny and graphic style. This fact-filled book reveals the different ways that creatures of the dark have adapted to thrive in their environments, including slow movement and loss of pigment in their bodies to blend in with their surroundings. Readers will get to know aquatic cave leeches, tailless whip scorpions, cave beetles, the devil's hole pupfish, worms, salamanders, and all kinds of bats.

 

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Gr 3-7--Strap on your headlamp and dive into The Dark to learn about caves and the animals that live in them. With a clear introduction of what a cave is, this well-organized, nonfiction comic book digs into the types of animals that call caves home, full- and part-time. Creepy crawlies that kids love are explored, including threatened and endangered species such as salamanders, various fish, bats, and all sorts of insects--even humans are covered! The author illuminates various animal adaptations in interesting ways that will capture readers' attentions. Also highlighted are unique caves of the world, the importance of caves to humans throughout history, and cave conservation. The author did a wonderful job creating eye-catching, clear cartoon illustrations with text placed thoughtfully on the page to highlight the fascinating animals. Pronunciation guides and definitions throughout clarify new ideas and vocabulary. Animals are given quirky personalities with conversation bubbles, adding humor to keep readers interested. VERDICT With its compelling layout and interesting facts, this is an engaging book.--Melisa Bailey

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Praise for Lindsey Leigh's The Deep!
"A buoyant undersea venture. Leigh draws her teeming wildlife in accurate detail."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Lindsey Leigh
Lindsey Leigh grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, fascinated by the Smithsonian museums and the Baltimore Aquarium. Her passion for communicating scientific ideas eventually led her to join the Guild of Natural Scientific Illustrators. She has since completed a Scientific Illustration internship with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and has created educational comics for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Tech, and the magazine BBC Focus. She is the author of The Deep! (Penguin Workshop).
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780593662595
Lexile Measure
1020
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Publication date
July 09, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Earth Sciences - General
JNF003320 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Nocturnal
JNF016000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Curiosities & Wonders
Library of Congress categories
Behavior
Animals
Habits and behavior
Cave dwellers
Cave animals
Cave ecology

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