United States
£ GBP
Like Glow Down Deep, about luminescence in the ocean, this book also has a lenticular jacket and glow-in-the-dark illustrations. Nature at Night takes readers into the lives of some amazing glowing animal and plant organisms that use the phenomena of bioluminescence, biofluorescence or ultraviolet light as part of their survival arsenal.
Nature at Night goes into the dark corners of forest, jungle and ocean to find organisms that use luminescence for camouflage, mating, warding off predators or attracting prey. One of the organisms is not an animal but is vegetation: Foxfire Fungi glow to attract animals that will eat them and spread their pores through their scat and so help the plant to reproduce.
The book includes well-known creatures like Fireflies, Eels and Lanternfish, but also three animals which, it has been recently discovered, use luminescence: Polka-Dot Tree Frogs, the only known amphibian to use biofluorescence; Puffins, which use ultraviolet light to make their beaks glow during courtship; and Hawksbill Turtles, one of the rarest species on our planet and the first reptile seen exhibiting biofluorescence.
In all, Nature at Night features Foxfire Fungi and Aurora, as well as these 21 glowing creatures. Readers will learn about each organism, its biology, what type of luminescence it uses and how, where it lives and how it survives. "Did You Know?" insets share unusual facts, focus on a topic, or display incredible photographs, like curtains of shining Glowworms hanging from the ceiling of Waipu Cave in New Zealand.
Like its companion title, Glow Down Deep, Nature at Night takes a new look at how nature magically lights up the dark. Young readers will thrill at the striking cover and spend many an hour under the bedsheets marvelling at the glowing illustrations.
Lisa Regan studied English and Linguistics at the University of Nottingham and gained a postgraduate diploma in Publishing at West Herts College. She has written over 400 books, including picture books, puzzle books and children's reference. She lives in Colchester, Essex.
"Who wouldn't like to read a book that glows in the dark?? Reading Nature at Night and its companion book Glow Down Deep: Amazing Creatures that Light Up was a fun experience! These books are a nice size, with larger-than-life, real-life images, giving the reader (best for ages 8 and up) a new appreciation for things that can "light up" or "glow down deep". Nature at Night focuses more on the forest, jungle, and ocean to find organisms that use luminescence for camouflage, mating, attracting prey, or keeping predators away. Glow Down Deep looks at sea creatures in the depths of the ocean and how they use their lights to help them survive. I also like the Did you know? feature on each page of the book that shares unusual facts and photographs; the glossary helps with some of the more scientific words."
– Stacey Widenhofer, Green Teacher Magazine on 01/01/2021
"A gallery of luminous natural beauties (not necessarily nocturnal), from puffins to polar lights. Leading off with a lenticular 3-D cover image of a hawksbill sea turtle glimmering red and green, this (stock) photo gallery spans land, sea, and sky to present 23 lambent wonders – all animals except for the foxfire mushroom and the northern and southern auroras – enhanced by glow-in-the-dark highlights. Even without that gimmick the figures seem luminous against the deep, black backgrounds. Nor is the glow always external; chameleons shine from their very bones; fimbriated moray eels gleam in part from internal organs; and the mushrooms, an orange octopus, and several others in the lineup at least look brightly lit from within. Aside from occasional bobbles, such as a claim that glowworms luminesce as larvae opposite a photo of flashing adults and contradictory observations that polka-dot tree frogs shine either by natural or only in ultraviolet light, Regan's lucid, specific remarks about how each organism makes and uses its lights are spot-on [...] Both casual browsers and budding zoologists will light up."
– Kirkus on 16/06/2020
