Other editions of book Bats

Presenting fascinating information on all kinds of bats, from how they use echoes to hear, to the legends that surround them and how to protect the speciesThough people often think of bats as scary, bats are really shy, gentle animals. There are nearly 1000 different species of bats, and they live on every continent except Antarctica. Some are tiny, but the giant flying fox bat has a five-foot wingspan! Popular science author Gail Gibbons also discusses the efforts to protect the world's only truly flying mammals. A final page offers additional facts.

Presenting fascinating information on all kinds of bats, from how they use echoes to hear, to the legends that surround them and how to protect the speciesThough people often think of bats as scary, bats are really shy, gentle animals. There are nearly 1000 different species of bats, and they live on every continent except Antarctica. Some are tiny, but the giant flying fox bat has a five-foot wingspan! Popular science author Gail Gibbons also discusses the efforts to protect the world's only truly flying mammals. A final page offers additional facts.

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A clever format and succinctly written text distinguish this offering by a prolific author. Gibbons describes bats' general physical characteristics, special traits of some half-dozen species, flying methods, use of echolocation, diet, natural habitats, hibernation, and the birth and development of young. She also discusses the decimation of bats around the world due to loss of habitats and pollution and the efforts to protect the world's only truly flying mammals. A final page offers additional miscellaneous facts. The text is clearly written and well organized. Scientific terms such as "nocturnal," "membrane," and "roosts" are clearly defined in context. Double borders enclose vivid paintings of bats in their natural habitats. While Ann Earle's Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats (HarperCollins, 1995) and Betsy Maestro's Bats: Night Fliers (Scholastic, 1994) cover similar ground, Gibbons's title makes an appealing addition to natural history sections. Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library