Once in a Blue Moon: Nature’s Rarest Events and Best-Kept Secrets (Rare Wonders of Earth)

Sun dogs, glowing fungi, and exploding toads are just a few of the unusual phenomena described in this fascinating work that homes in on the spectacular. Spotlighting “rare and diverse marvels of nature,” the book is separated into sections including “Amazing Space,” “Weird Weather,” “Peculiar Plants,” and more. Brief text boxes summarize the specific subject, sidebars detail related topics, and smaller captions offer further details. While some of Hawkins’s accessible writing expands on familiar material (solar eclipses, carnivorous plants), other topics covered truly generate wonder (trees that appear to bleed, accounts of raining fish, frogs, or worms). Equally comfortable rendering weather patterns, flora, and fauna, Stankovic’s realistic artwork employs a naturalist’s precision. The resultant combination has a memorable strangeness that will easily pique readers’ curiosity. Back matter includes a glossary and index. Ages 7–10. (Sept.)