Did you know that giraffes clean their ears with their tongues? Or that food passes through a giant squid’s brain before going to its stomach? 50 Wacky Things Animals Do describes 50 unbelievable animals and the things they do that seem too crazy to be true - but are! Whether incredible, funny, or just plain gross, these peculiar and fascinating animal behaviors will surprise and delight fun-fact lovers of all ages.
The most exciting aspect of writing is creating something out of nothing. You start with a blank screen and a mind bursting with ideas eager to fill up your page. Sometimes the words literally flow from my mind to my fingers to the page instantaneously. Other times I methodically create as I go. I am the author of two picture books and six history non-fiction books. I enjoy giving hands-on presentations to elementary school children that correlate with the topics in my books. I come dressed in period costume and bring up to a hundred artifacts children can handle. www.authortalk.org
I am most proud of my debut picture book “50 Wacky Things Animals Do,” which won three awards: 1) 2018 Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards; 2) 2018 ILA-CBC Children’s Choices list, a cooperative project of the International Literacy Association (ILA) and the Children’s Book Council (CBC); and 3) 2018 ASJA’s Annual Writing Awards (American Society of Journalists and Authors) for Children/Young Adult Nonfiction.
Carles Ballesteros is a Spanish-born illustrator living and working in Santiago, Chile. He is a member of the Professional Association of Illustrators of Catalonia (APIC). Ballesteros uses a mixture of traditional drawing skills and digital techniques to create his work. He is also the illustrator of Building Machines and other titles in the Changing Faces series, including I Love You, Elephant!, Is That Your Dad?, Don’t Wake the Tiger!, and Meet Happy Bear.