In Prickly Animals, early fluent readers learn about animals such as the sea urchin, porcupine, and pufferfish that protect themselves against predators with sharp spines. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text engage young readers as they explore the unique adaptations of these prickly animals. An infographic explores the anatomy of a porcupine quill, and an activity offers kids an opportunity to extend discovery. Children can learn more about prickly animals using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Prickly Animals also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. Prickly Animals is part of Jump!'s Back Off! Animal Defenses series.

Don’t get too close to a porcupine! These prickly creatures defend themselves with a suit of armor—30,000 sharp quills that can be shot like arrows into an enemy's flesh! If the needle-like quills aren’t enough to scare a hungry predator away, a porcupine makes a stinky odor that's so horrible it can make an enemy's eyes and nose water! These are just some of the fascinating facts kids will discover as they explore the world of these prickly animals. Large, eye-popping photos and clear, grade-appropriate text engage emergent readers as they learn all about the unique and gross ways porcupines protect themselves. A section in the back of the book profiles another animal that protects itself in a similar way, to help reinforce the concept of defense mechanisms.

Introduces ten animals that can be distinguished by how they feel to the touch, including the porcupine, galago, spiny anteater, chinchilla, stickleback, llama, hedgehog, giant panda, tenrec, and rabbit.

Animals have evolved a wide range of defenses to keep them safe from other animals that want to eat them. This volume explores the many defenses animals employ to protect themselves, including porcupine quills, insect stingers, and the flying hooves of zebras. Through full-color photographs and fun facts that accompany the fascinating and informative text, readers will learn how animals use their unique designs to survive another day. Sidebars provide more details on interesting points and a list of recent books and educational websites encourages students to do more in-depth research of their own.

Winner of the Moonbeam Children's Animals/Pets Non-Fiction Gold Medal! A story about the fundamental connection between animals and people and how we can treat all of Earth's creatures with compassion and empathy. Furry polar bears, playful sea otters, slow sloths, prickly porcupines, and slimy snakes are just a few of the many animals we share our world with. And even though we might not look the same or have the same needs as our animal neighbors, we have more in common with them than we might think. Our Animal Neighbors introduces children to the importance of treating all animals with the care and compassion they deserve. We all want to experience love, safety, and respect and this book is the first step to instilling those values at an early age. This planet is our home, and we should all be free to live a prosperous life regardless of whether we have hands, hooves, scales, or fur. “A serious message delivered with humor, simplicity, and charm makes this book an excellent purchase for families that value open-ended discussions. Also a good resource for classrooms and libraries that welcome diverse opinions and points of view.”—School Library Journal

Porcupine has a special way of defending herself. Readers will see the hard, sharp quills on her back. When a fierce fisher attacks Porcupine, she raises her quills, chatters her teeth and stomps her feet to frighten the fisher away.