Nature's Yucky! 2

This follow-up to the disgustingly popular Nature's Yucky! takes young naturalists and other lovers of foul facts and icky information on an expedition to the American Southwest. Nature's Yucky! 2 introduces readers to sixteen desert creatures and vividly answers such scintillating scientific questions as: How does the regal horned lizard squirt blood from its eyes? Why do dung beetles eat poop? Why does the piglike javelina smell like stinky socks? Astonishingly detailed illustrations capture not just Mother Nature's revolting qualities but her stunning beauty. With it's "Eeewww!! That's Yucky!" refrain, the book is especially fun for reading aloud. Serious scholars will enjoy gathering further information about each animal in the "More Fun Facts" section. Those with an appetite for further yuckiness can use the kid-friendly recipe for raven-gut upside-down cake or sing the "Nature's Yucky!" song. There is also a list of books and Web sites to encourage further scientific exploration.

Lee Ann Landstrom and Karen Shragg are longtime educators of children and adults. Landstrom has a master's degree in biology and directs the Eastman Nature Center for the Three Rivers Park District in Osseo, Minnesota. Shragg has a master's degree in outdoor education and recreation, and a doctorate in education. She heads the Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, Minnesota. Their first book, "Nature's Yucky!" received the Izaak Walton League of America Book of the Year Award. Richel Rogge studied studio art and biology at Humboldt State University where she also worked at the Natural History Museum. She holds a graduate certificate in science illustration from the Science Communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is a freelance illustrator. This is her first children's book.