A Platypus' World
The platypus is a strange animal, with a bill like a duck and a fur coat and flat tail like a beaver. This egg laying mammal is found only in Australia. It is at home both on land and in the water. Inside a burrow next to a stream, the mother platypus lays two eggs. Soon, a tiny baby platypus hatches from each egg. As the babies get older, they learn to find food in the stream. Take a swim through this book and find out what happens in a platypus' world.
A readable and lively text provides a close-up look at these unusual mammals. Cut paper illustrations by the author help tell the tales of these strange animals and the world in which they live.The story follows two baby platypuses from birth in a an eastern Australian woodland through the first year of their life. It shows platypuses in their natural home along with other animals that share their environment. This picture book can be read aloud to younger children or an older child can read it alone.
Sidebars on each page spread expand information in the text. Back matter includes a map of where platypuses live, fun facts, a glossary and index, and a guide to websites appropriate for the age group.
Look in your library for more information about platypuses in Caroline Arnold's book, Australian Animals, (Harper Collins, 2000) and Shockers of the Sea(Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999).