A 2019 Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students: K–12 (National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council).

This exuberant celebration of the weird and wonderful world of plants is full of unexpected facts, perfect for budding botanists and armchair art lovers alike. A vibrant, close-up exploration of plants, this colorful book focuses on the extraordinary and unexpected, from the tiny bee orchid to the mighty strangler fig.

Looking at plants from across the globe, the specimens featured include carnivorous and poisonous species; plants that provide us with food, materials, or medicine; those that have a special symbiotic relationship with animals or other plants; as well as especially rare or record-breaking species. Among many other awesome plants, discover:

• Lithops hookeri, the pebble plant that disguises itself as a stone to hide from predators;
• Nepenthes lowii, the tree shrew toilet pitcher that thrives on nutrients from tree shrew droppings;
• Drosera rotundifolia, the sundew that digests insects after trapping them with sticky dew-like droplets; and
• Selaginella lepidophylla, the resurrection plant that can survive for years without any rainwater at all.

As you explore these amazing species, gain a foundation of knowledge about the plant kingdom. How do plants get energy? Can plants talk? Why do plants have flowers? Can plants move? Learn how plants get energy and nutrients, how animals and plants work together, how plants can send out chemical messages, and finally, how to protect plants and their habitats.

Bursting with color, there’s something new and unexpected to discover on every page of this celebration of fierce and fabulous plants.