Now you see them, now you don’t. Masters of Disguise is a timely and beautiful non-fiction book for nature lovers of every stripe. Cloaked in a riot of colour, pattern and texture are a dozen animals. From chameleons and polar bears to Gaboon vipers and mimic octopuses, these mysterious animals have mastered the art of fading into the background.
This book is a gorgeous hide-and-seek extravaganza that showcases twelve of the most elusive animals on earth that use camouflage to disguise themselves. My favourite was the three-toed sloth. I was fascinated by their symbiotic relationship with algae – it relies on a sloth’s fur for its water supply… how cool is that!
Filled with fact-packed pages, they segue into clever and beautifully illustrated seek-and-find spreads. These put readers’ newfound knowledge of each creature and its ecosystem to the test with a prompt to spot the animal a specific number of times. This isn’t easy and can require fresh eyes, so this aspect makes for a fun and interactive read aloud as both kids and adults work together to sleuth and spot!
Author Marc Martin is an award-winning artist, illustrator, and picture-book maker based in Melbourne. His work is a world of dense colour, rich textures and the odd scribble. Masters of Disguise features many of these elements using a mixture of watercolour, pencil, and digital art forms. And the hardback cover will reel you in through a vibrant green and a cleverly-designed title that blends in with its background – a clear indication of what’s to come.
Martin jets budding conservationists around the world and shows them the secrets of animal camouflage. I can see this book becoming a staple in libraries and science classrooms everywhere. Step aside, David Attenborough, Marc Martin’s got camouflaging sorted! Perfect for animal lovers and readers aged 6+.
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