The Queen's Shadow: A Story About How Animals See

by Jennifer Muirhead (follow)

Fiction (373)      Children's Books (93)      Animals (16)      Science (9)     

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kids Can Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

On the night of the Queen's Ball the celebration is in full swing when there is a sudden blackout. When the lights come back on the Queen's shadow has disappeared. It is up to Mantis Shrimp, the Royal Detective, to discover who has stolen it.

The Queen's Shadow by Cybèle Young is a quirky children's picture book which uses a cute story and whimsical illustrations to explain differences in animal anatomy, specifically the way that different animals' see. The book includes facts that many adults may not be aware of. For example, I didn't know that a goat has a blind spot directly in front of it because its eyes are so far apart, or that mantis shrimps have trinocular vision (the ability to see an object from three different angles at once for better depth perception). The story is quite surreal and I loved the unusual illustrations which have a Victorian look a little reminiscent of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

The Queen's Shadow is a clever, beautifully illustrated book that would appeal to young animal lovers and science fans.

Rated: 4/5
Published: March 1 2015

#Fiction
#Children's Books
#Science
#Animals

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