Review of
Bats: Night Fliers,
by Betsy Maestro ISBN 0590461516
Five out of five stars
Many humans
have an innate and often irrational fear of bats. When I was young, some of the
older women I knew were terrified of a bat getting tangled up in their hair. I
have seen grown men and women shiver and shriek with terror at the knowledge that
a bat was nearby.
Yet, bats are
one of the most environmentally sound animals and pose little risk to humans.
There is the occasional report of a rabid bat, but there are other animals that
are far more frequent dangerous carriers of rabies. The purpose of this book is
to expose the reader to the value of bats in various ecosystems as well as display
images of some of the more unusual species.
Like many other
mammalian families, there is a wide range in the size of bats, from the size of
a large bee to some with a wingspan of up to six feet. They are the only
mammals that truly fly, and their sonar systems are extremely sensitive. Once
again demonstrating that nature has generally already thought of most human inventions.
This is a science
book for children that is also fun to read. It is educational and entertaining,
even for adults that don’t like bats.
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