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Children's Nonfiction General

And the Winner Is ...

Amazing Animal Athletes

by (author) Etta Kaner

illustrated by David Anderson

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Apr 2013
Category
General, Miscellaneous
Recommended Age
4 to 8
Recommended Grade
p to 3
Recommended Reading age
4 to 8
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781554539048
    Publish Date
    Apr 2013
    List Price
    $17.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

As this informational picture book by award-winning author Etta Kaner begins, sportscasters Walrus and Cockatoo are setting the stage: “Welcome to the World Animal Games --- that's WAG for short. Top athletes from habitats around the world will be competing for the gold! Exciting, isn't it, Cockatoo?” Along with some comic relief, the pair then provide the play-by-play for the seven sporting events covered in the book. With a total of twenty-eight animals competing, each event, from high jump to weight lifting and swimming, pits a different group of four against one another. Readers are given “stats” for each competitor and are invited to guess who will win. Then they turn the page and find out who won and, importantly, why. They also learn how the winner compares, proportionally, to the best human achievement in that skill. Besides the funny, wisecracking banter between Walrus and Cockatoo, further entertainment is provided in the lively illustrations by David Anderson, as well as in the silly puns. For example, a chicken calls out, “Foul play!” while a goat exclaims, “You've got to be kidding!” This book will be hugely appealing to those children who love to learn facts about the strongest, highest and fastest. In the classroom, it's a perfect introduction to science lessons on living things and their characteristics, with the interactive guessing element a great way to keep children engaged. It also works as a read-aloud during major sporting events such as the Olympics.

About the authors

 

ETTA KANER est une ex-enseignante. De nos jours, elle écrit principalement des documentaires pour les enfants et les éducateurs. Plusieurs de ses livres ont été primés; elle a notamment remporté le Silver Birch Award, le Animal Behavior Society Award et le Science in Society Book Award. Etta vit à Toronto, en Ontario.

 

ETTA KANER writes for both children and educators. A number of her books have won awards, namely, the Silver Birch award, the Animal Behaviour Society award, and the Science in Society book award. Etta lives in Toronto, Ontario.

 

Etta Kaner's profile page

David Anderson is an illustrator and cartoonist with a background as a political cartoonist in several South African newspapers. His Canadian clients include Kids Can Press, Rogers Media, Bell Global Media, Can West, Nissan Canada, General Mills, and Met Life. He has won several national awards, including The Standard Bank Cartoon of the Year (South Africa) and the Duncan Macpherson Award for Editorial Cartooning (Canada). His work is syndicated worldwide by The New York Times Syndicate and Cartoonists and Writers Syndicate in California. He is also the author and illustrator of two children's books, and the illustrator of And The Winner Is... (Kids Can Press, 2013). David is based in Toronto, Ontario.

David Anderson's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Grand Canyon Reader Award, Non-fiction category, Arizona Library Association
  • Short-listed, Silverbirch Non-Fiction Express, Ontario Library Association
  • Short-listed, Rainforest of Reading, Ontario Library Association
  • Winner, Best Books of the Year for Children and Young Adults, Bank Street Children's Book Committee
  • Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award
  • Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre

Editorial Reviews

Whereas most animal books for this age group focus on one particular animal or habitat, this is a good introduction to a broader range and the unusual strengths and abilities that come with it.—Booklist

Children will be fascinated by some of the animals feats cataloged here and may even be curious to see how well they might do in comparison.—Kirkus Reviews

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