We caught up with JENNIFER COSSINS to discuss her book Extreme Animal Facts which looks at over 140 of the world’s most extraordinary animals.

What inspired your book Extreme Animal Facts?

I have been reading and learning about animals for my books for a long time, and over the years have learnt so many interesting facts. One day I thought to myself, all these facts combined into one book would be really cool! And that’s why I wrote this book!

Do you have any interesting facts that you can share?

One of my favourite facts is that the tiny pistol shrimp, which is only a few centimetres long, is actually the loudest animal in the world! Another favourite fact is the immortal jellyfish has the longest lifespan of all creatures – it can actually live forever through an amazing process of regeneration. In this book you’ll also find a bird that vomits on itself to protect it from predators, a primate with venomous sacs under it’s arms, and a beetle that is so strong it can pull over 1000 times it’s own body weight!

What surprised you the most while researching for this book?

I am always surprised by how amazing animals are. I learned about a lizard that can shoot blood from it’s eyeballs to scare away predators, that narwhal and elephant tusks are actually just very long teeth, and that there are birds that can fly as high as planes! Animals are so fascinating – I don’t think I will ever get tired of learning about them. 

Which animal do you think has the most extraordinary ability?

This is such a hard question! Maybe it’s peregrine falcon, that can reach speeds of over 300 km an hour when diving from the sky to catch prey. Or maybe the bar-tailed godwit that broke the world record for the furthest nonstop flight by flying more than 13 000 kilometres without stopping. It took them 11 days!

Who is this book for?

This book is really for anyone with an interest in animals and nature – it’s best for kids aged around 7 – 12 years, but there is no doubt most adults will learn a lot from this book too – I certainly learnt so much while writing it!

Describe this book in three words.

Colourful, interesting, extreme.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Cossins is a CBCA award-winning artist and writer with a passion for nature, the animal kingdom and all things bright and colourful. A born and bred Tasmanian, Jennifer also designs homewares, textiles and stationery, which she stocks in her store in Hobart, Red Parka. Jennifer’s books include A-Z OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS, 101 COLLECTIVE NOUNS, THE BABY ANIMAL BOOK, A-Z OF AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS, THE ULTIMATE ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK, A FLAMBOYANCE OF FLAMINGOS, THE MUMMY ANIMAL BOOK, THE DADDY ANIMAL BOOK, THE ULTIMATE ANIMAL ALPHABET BOOK, BOOK OF CURIOUS BIRDS, AMAZING ANIMAL JOURNEYS and EXTREME ANIMAL FACTS.

Visit Jennifer Cossins’ website