Early Book Review: Blowholes, Book Gills, and Butt-Breathers: The Strange Ways Animals Get Oxygen by Doug Wechsler

Blowholes, Book Gills, and Butt-Breathers: The Strange Ways Animals Get Oxygen by Doug Wechsler is currently scheduled for release on December 7 2021. This is the latest installment of the How Nature Works series. 

Explores a question unasked by any other book for young readers: What can we learn about nature and evolution from the bizarre and exotic ways some animals have evolved to get life-giving oxygen? It is an inquiry-based book designed to stimulate active minds; a STEM offering from a celebrated nature photographer and writer, featuring some spectacular nature photography. Weird and wonderful, as only nature can be!

Blowholes, Book Gills, and Butt-Breathers is more straightforward and scientifically presented that I expected from the title and illustrated cover. I was expecting more  puns and jokes about the more unusual ways animals get their needed oxygen. I started the book expecting it to be an easy, fluffy read, and was happily surprised to see some detailed explanations about how bodies use oxygen, and just why it is such an important part of life on this planet. I found the information to be well written and accessible to the middle grade and older crowd. There are moments that might give readers the giggles, because of the subject matter. I found the photographs to be extremely well done, and their placement helps keep the reader's focus and attention on the subject matter. I loved that the author included a glossary and list of materials foe further reading. That always makes my geeky little heart happy.

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