SUPERSQUADS! (Book 3, Animal Heroes Series)
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There’s strength in numbers out there in the wild! In a lively comics-style format, the creators of Supermoms! and Superdads! deliver a funny, fascinating look at some ingenious ways that animal squads survive.
Did you know that when honeybees find a food source, they do a dance to convey the direction, distance, and yumminess level to their hive mates? Or that chickadees add extra “dees” to their calls to warn their flock of danger? Or that a meerkat standing like a sentry may well be guarding its mob while they eat? Sometimes the key is divvying up tasks, like when beavers build a dam, or it’s combining differences—like when a sea anemone protects a hermit crab with its stinging tentacles, then gets a ride and some tasty tidbits from the crab. Or it’s power in numbers, as when hundreds of thousands of starlings fly in a murmuration, foiling predators trying to lock in on a target. With fun, fact-filled panels, Heather Lang and Jamie Harper delve into the ways animals band together to stay safe and thrive, from orcas to ostriches, spiny lobsters to snow monkeys, leaf cutter ants to zebras and more. Aspiring naturalists can find out more about the animals in the back matter, along with an array of resources for continuing to explore.
Reviews and Interviews
Give a rousing cheer for animals that help one another out. In the same exuberant vein as their salutes to “super” animal moms and dads, Lang and Harper pay tribute to natural friends, families, and communities that work as “supersquads” . . . Succinct explanations of how each collective task or relationship functions accompany Harper’s lively cartoon views of creatures in animated poses. . . .
—Kirkus Reviews
Colorful and engaging. . . . This book provides abundant information for young children in an enjoyable way, for group sharing or classroom use.
—School Library Journal
The Picture Book Buzz: Interview with Maria Marshall
Resources and Activities for SUPERSQUADS!
SUPER Worksheets and Activities
All About Me Worksheet (What makes you a super teammate?)
My Favorite Super Teammate Worksheet
Watch Your Favorite Supersquads in Action!
(Click on the animal to watch)
It’s Movie Night!
Grab some popcorn and cheer on a supersquad
in one of these fascinating films.
Adventures of the Penguin King. Directed by Anthony Geffen and Sias Wilson. Atlantic Productions, 2013 ( 1 hr 17m/PG).
Watch on: Amazon Prime or YouTube
Summary: Rex, a young King Penguin, has been away from his home for three years, learning to hunt in the deep oceans, but now he's back in Penguin City. His mission: to find a mate, settle down and raise a chick - to become a true Penguin King.
Beaver Lodge Construction Squad | Attenborough | BBC Earth (10 mins)
Watch on: YouTube
Summary: The American beaver's ability to nibble wood demonstrates the stunning adaptability of these amazing mammals. In addition to creating their own lake, this family of beavers constructs a make-shift fridge and cozy lodge.
The Incredible March of the Spiny Lobsters. Episode 36, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. Produced by Jacques Cousteau. ABC, 1976 (50 mins).
Watch on: YouTube
Summary: Dive down and join the spiny lobsters for their super migration. When the first winter storm approaches, they march single-file for many, many miles!
“Secrets of the Whales,” Orca Dynasty. Season 1, Episode 1. Produced by James Cameron. National Geographic/Disney, 2021.
Watch on: Disney+ or Hulu
Summary: Orcas across the globe use unique strategies to stay on top of the food chain. Patagonia's whales catch sea lions off the beach, New Zealand's orcas root out hidden stingrays, and Norway's sea giants master the tail slap. Witness five powerful orca matriarchs pass down their family hunting traditions to the next generation, preserving their way of life before the customs are lost forever.
“Beaver Fever.” Season 1, episode 2, of Wild Hope collection, Nature. Produced by Tangled Bank Studios. PBS, 2023.
Watch on: PBS and Wild Hope
Summary: The surprise return of beavers to the British countryside brings benefits and controversy for humans and wildlife alike. The work of these famously busy rodents increases local biodiversity, reduces storm-induced flooding, and restores wilderness to a highly manicured landscape. It also injects some chaos into the lives of the beavers’ human neighbors.
More Books About Our Supersquads!
Head to your local library and check out these fantastic picture books to learn more about our supersquads. (Click on the book cover for more info)
