Be a Camouflage Detective: Looking for Critters That Are Hidden, Concealed, or Covered

The topic of camouflage intrigues many youngsters who are curious about nature. This addition to six previous books in the “Be a Nature Detective” series gives brief accounts of 30 inhabitants of oceans, wetlands, woods and the winter landscape that one might expect to see in Atlantic Canada. Along with the details of camouflage characteristics, a few random facts (depending on what is most notable about the animal) are included. The introductory page invites readers to “guess all the animals hiding on the book’s cover”, with answers provided at the back of the book. A Glossary is included to define words in bold text. The Resources page has minimal value: websites are limited to a few general nature sites, and the print offerings are mostly dated.

The species accounts are written in accessible, straightforward language, although some long complex sentences might challenge less able or younger readers in the suggested readership range (7-12). While the focus is mainly on camouflage facts, the presentations vary in content. The flounder’s disappearing act that makes them “experts at camouflage” is thoroughly explained. The Underwing Moth’s clever patterns and colours are the sole focus of that story. The moon snail description only briefly mentions it is hard to see in the sand while readers learn mostly about its foot, radula and the unusual egg case. In most accounts, the animals’ food is simply presented as a list and only occasionally integrated in a more interesting way, e.g. with the squid: By ejecting a stream of water from their siphon, they dart backward or forward to chase small fish and crustaceans.

The author/illustrator’s captioned watercolor art gives accurate depictions of the animals in this highly visual book about their clever camouflage adaptations. The full-colour pages that introduce each section have an almost interactive element. They don’t have a bold heading; rather they pose a question within a small box (e.g. How are animals camouflaged in the snow?) on a background painting with all the upcoming examples hiding in the scene. Readers can ‘search’ for the critters in natural surroundings before turning the page for a more revealing, labelled view of each one. Perhaps taking the idea of camouflage too far, though, is the choice of a patterned background on every page with text. It works nicely on the title page but tends to distract the eye elsewhere and make it uncomfortable to read the words.

Despite some deficiencies, Be a Camouflage Detective: Looking for Critters That Are Hidden, Concealed, or Covered offers enough to engage young readers and keep them interested in the series.