Books with author Barry Louis Polisar

Written entirely in verse and filled with intriguing facts about an extraordinary array of uncommon animals, this collection of poems and illustrations introduce children to some of the oddest creatures in the animal kingdom, including many rare and endangered species. Young readers will discover the Numbat, who has more teeth than any other animal, but swallows his food whole; the Proboscis Monkey with its long nose that it must move out of the way in order to eat; and the Naked Mole Rat, who is pictured stretched out on a divan, shielding herself with feathers. The poems in this book were featured on Barbara Bush's national radio show on ABC, Mrs. Bush's Story Time.

Afraid of snakes, Lenny has to endure a field trip to the zoo's snake house. He encounters taunts from his bullying classmates and little sympathy from his teacher and guidance counselor, who are pictured increasingly snake-like and menacing until the wickedly funny surprise ending. It's a book about fears that says there's nothing wrong with having them. A new edition with full-page, color illustrations in this companion book to The Snake Who Was Afraid of People.