Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Neal Layton (Candlewick, 2006). Humans are wimps, we’re told. We “can’t stand” cold, heat, live without food or water, and we have to have air to survive. But a handful of other earth creatures are pros and handling all of the above. Take “frog popsicles” for example. As the author points out, “usually, being frozen solid is very, very bad for living things.” But wood frogs survive by making the ice grow between all their key body parts. Conversational, funny, informative, and fascinating with humorous, clever illustrations–one of the most inspired works of creative non-fiction this year. Ages 8-up.