The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fast and Slow Animals by Sami Bayly

Award winning Australian author and illustrator Sami Bayly continues her stunning series with the latest addition The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Fast and Slow Animals. This joins The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Extinct Animals (2024), and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs in nature(2021), The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals (2020) and The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals (2019).

In this strikingly illustrated book readers are introduced to sixty of the fastest and slowest creatures on Earth. This includes the Australian lungfish that take years to grow. The slow growth enables them to retain many of their ancestral traits. There is the greyhound, which can be described as the cheetah of the canine world. They have been recorded running up to 70 kmh. The koala is one of the slowest animals in the world. They not only sleep up to 22 hours a day, but they also have very little energy as it takes a lot to break down the food in their gut. The ostrich is the fastest sprinting bird and can cover three to five metres in a single stride. As well as the more familiar animals, there are some not as well known including the Margay, the Horned Sungem, the Olm, and the Ox Heart Ascidian.

Each animal is presented in detail on a double page spread with information on one half and a large colour illustration on the other. The scientific name of the animal is given plus a pronunciation guide and information under the headings of description, speed factor, conservation status, diet, location/habitat and fun facts.

Sami Bayly continues to provide both young and older readers with a fascinating look at a wide variety of creatures from the Animal Kingdom. Her meticulous research and attention to detail allows her books to be one of the most popular and engaging series for borrowing from school libraries.

Themes: Fast and Slow Animals, Animal Kingdom, Wildlife Conservation, Information.

Kathryn Beilby