Nature Shockers: Planet Earth News Presents    by Keltie Thomas & Greg Hall Order:  USA  Can Maple Tree, 2005 (2005) Hardcover, Softcover     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Keltie Thomas begins Nature Shockers by telling us 'There's no place in the universe that has such strange goings-on as Earth' and proceeds to make her point via all kinds of Amazing True Stories. Her book is in colorful magazine format (amusingly illustrated by Greg Hall), its exclusives interspersed with Hoax Busters activities, intended to be used to develop the reader's sense of 'phony baloney'. We learn about the strange denizens of the ocean deeps, like the hagfish that slimes its prey. Did you know jellyfish have been lurking for over 650 million years? Here's a weird one - methane gas bubbles sinking Bermuda Triangle boats! I liked the gallery of lake monsters, but am glad I didn't know about the Lake Van one when I was in Turkey. Some of the plants described here are super strange - like an exploding cucumber (the sandbox tree also fires off its fruit) and an orchid that pretends to be a bee. There are weird critters, like the teeny strawberry poison dart frogs that wrestle over territory. Ever heard of raining cats and dogs? How about frogs, jellyfish, and maggots? Yecch! Explore all the weird and wonderful contents of Nature Shockers and surprise your friends with the 'inside scoop on how life on Earth is stranger than fiction.' Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews