Combining two tween favorites—humor and the gross-out factor—the titles in the Things That Make You Go Yuck! series are also educational. But don’t tell that to students. These books are all about animal (and a few plant and microorganism) adaptations and survival, particularly the planet’s more unusual creatures, and readers will enjoy reading one quick, double-page story after another. The smaller format—with close-up color photos on every page, puns that introduce each species, and related quizzes—add to the browsing appeal. Mystifying Mutants discusses the role of genes and how mutations have given animals and plants strange physical characteristics and adaptations to survive (or not!). A final chapter discusses how and why scientists are genetically modifying animals. From yuck to wow to hmm, these books will draw out the curiosity in any reader.

Written with surprising wit and charm, this book is as funny as it is informative, never losing sight of educating the reader, even while entertaining you with trivia questions, goofy asides, ideas for assignments, and impressive photography that brings each of these unique creatures to life.

[T]he pictures were great, the information accurate, and the examples decidedly odd and appealing! . . . In addition to logical groupings of organisms, a mix of plant and animal examples, and fantastic images, there were trivia questions and thought-bubble boxes scattered throughout to break things up a bit. A fun read, each 2 page description of a “yucky” organism felt like it would make a great 2 minute mini-commercial on a kids science TV show. I’d recommend for any organismal science class.