And the Winner Is... Amazing Animal Athletes

A cockatoo and a walrus serve as announcers at the World Animal Games, where diverse animals compete in events like weightlifting, swimming, and the long jump. The results are sometimes surprising: a rhinoceros beetle beats an elephant and gorilla by “supporting an object 100 times her own weight,” and a flying snake wins at aerobatics. And when compared to human athletes, the animals are vastly superior (“Weren’t they amazing?” gushes the cockatoo about a sailfish’s stripes. “Sailfish usually flash these colors when they’re excited about hunting.... I bet human swimmers don’t even come close to this speed”). Sidebars offer concise profiles of the competitors, including their classifications, habitats, and diets. Kaner makes the most of a fun premise, but while Anderson’s watercolor cartoons have personality, they can be a bit rough around the edges. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)