By Dora Lee
Kids Can Press, $18.95, 40 pages

It is said that imitation is the best form of flattery. If that is true, humans flatter mother earth and nature every day. For thousands of years people have looked to nature for solutions to some of our biggest problems. In Dora Lee’s fascinating book Biomimicry: Invention Inspired by Nature, this complex relationship is explored. Biomimicry means imitating life. Teachers will jump at the chance to add this book to classroom libraries. Young readers working on science reports will find this book helpful. Examples of ways humans have copied nature are abundant. Our soldiers wear uniforms to camouflage them and keep them safe. Kids will find it fascinating to learn that animals “invented” camouflage long before humans. Why do baby deer have spots? They break up the outlines of their bodies, like a soldier’s uniform, so they can blend into their surroundings. Author Dora Lee is a scientific writer. Margot Thompson’s illustrations compliment the text. The pictures are acrylic on canvas which comes to life on these pages. What’s next? Lee provides ideas for keeping earth, and ourselves, safe. Let’s look outside to nature and animals for answers.

Reviewed by Kathryn Franklin

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