Author(s): Sami Bayly

Children's Non-Fiction

Make way for the world's weirdest, most wonderful creatures

Publisher's Note: A Curious Collection of Peculiar Creatures was previously published in Australia as The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Ugly Animals.

What's your favorite animal--a majestic lion, a graceful horse? Those are great choices, but have you considered the fangtooth moray eel? It has two rows of icicle-shaped teeth And the monkey slug caterpillar is ready to cuddle . . . just look out for the stingers all over its body (and its six limbs that technically aren't legs)

It's true, these animals are a little different--but their unusual features often give them incredible superpowers. Take the nearly blind star-nosed mole: Its pink, flower-shaped nose can detect the microscopic texture of everything it touches, and it does this at warp speed--up to 12 objects per second

What's more, many of these weird, wonderful creatures need our help: They're endangered, and we can't afford to ignore their well-being any longer. It's time to find a peculiar creature to love Why not the blobfish?