LoveReading Says
A very modern bestiary for adults who revel in the wonder of nature, you’ll find it hard to believe, but all of these curious creatures actually exist. Author Joanna Bagniewska is a zoologist with an extraordinarily eloquent and spellbinding pen. Joined by illustrator Jennifer N.R. Smith, they have created an almost otherworldly feel to this book that I have quite fallen in love with. Joanna warns in the introduction: “Before we start, let me warn you that this is not really a book for children”, “Animals are gross. And gory. And obscene. And I suspect that it could be difficult to address issues such as siblicide with children who are going through the phase of hating their brother or sister”. So, be warned! 100 species have been selected from an estimated 8 to 163 million, concentrating on the elements, earth, water, and land, and animals are front and centre. She starts with the antechinus, and as my eyebrows raised and my jaw dropped, the following banana slugs had me wincing and smirking. In other words, prepare for a world you quite possibly didn’t know existed, and I can promise that your eyes will be well and truly opened! I love the almost irreverent style of writing, but it is very clear that you are listening to an expert. While you can dip in and out of this book as each animal is described in two pages, like me you may well find yourself binge-reading. There are serious notes to discover about conservation, but foremost this is a celebration of some of the weirdest animals out there, and as such acts as the most wondrous focus to the importance of ensuring they are still with us in the years to come. This is a book I will be telling all my friends about. The Modern Bestiary just had to join our LoveReading Star Books, it’s absolutely blimmin fabulous and also sits as a Liz Pick of the Month.
Liz Robinson
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The Modern Bestiary Synopsis
From the familiar to the improbable, the gross to the endearing, The Modern Bestiary is a compendium of curious creatures. It includes both animals that have made headlines and those you've probably never heard of, such as skin-eating caecilians, harp sponges, or zombie worms - also known as bone-eating snot flowers.
Arranged by elements (Earth, Water, Air), The Modern Bestiary contains well-known species told from new, unexpected angles (rats that drive cars; fish that communicate by passing wind), as well as stranger and lesser-known creatures, including carnivorous mice that howl at the moon, cross-dressing cuttlefish, and antechinuses - small marsupials that literally mate themselves to death. Finally, there are the 'aliens on Earth' - the incredible, the surreal, the magical - such as tardigrades, tongue-eating lice and immortal jellyfish, creatures so astonishing that they make unicorns look rather commonplace.
Written by a zoologist with a flair for storytelling, this is a fascinating celebration of the animal kingdom.
About This Edition
Joanna Bagniewska Press Reviews
Everyone who loves wildlife - especially fantastically weird and cringingly gross wildlife - should read this masterful book. - Mark Carwardine, author/presenter of Last Chance to See
Even after half a century - and counting - as a professional zoologist, I encountered new and intriguing facts on every page, all conveyed in an easy, friendly style. If ever there was a book that highlighted the bewildering wonders of the natural world, and the need for their conservation, this is it. - Michael Brooke, author of Far from Land
If you love animals, especially ones with unsavoury habits, this book is for you. Entries are crafted with affection, cast-iron scholarship and an unyielding dedication to exposing as much hilarious weirdness as the animal kingdom can offer. And that, it appears, is rather a lot. This is a book to adore. - Tom Moorhouse, author of Elegy for a River
This modern bestiary is a magnificent miscellany that will amuse and amaze. From butterflies that make crocodiles cry and penis-fencing slugs to fish that live inside sea cucumbers' bottoms - the natural world is stranger than you could ever imagine. - George McGavin, entomologist, author and TV presenter
The Modern Bestiary provides a fascinating, accessible and humorous insight into the wonders of the natural world. Packed with incredible facts and jaw-dropping insights into wildlife ecology, anatomy and behaviour, it is a genuine delight. - Amy Dickman, director of Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit
Just when you thought the natural world couldn't get any more bizarre, you turn the page and learn about a small marsupial that mates itself to death. There's plenty inside this beautifully written book to make you laugh, squirm and - perhaps most importantly - appreciate how lucky we are to not have to live inside an anus. - Yussef Rafik, zoologist and wildlife TV presenter
