Copy That, Copy Cat!: Inventions Inspired by Animals

COPY THAT, COPY CAT! is a clever lift-the-flap board book that discusses the way animals have inspired inventors. Using rhyming text and clever peek-through cut-outs and flaps, the book discusses unique features of certain animals and the ways that inventions have been inspired by them. For instance, the way that snow shoes were inspired by polar bear feet.

What I loved: This is a clever and fun way to teach about animals and about the way the things around us have been inspired by animals and their unique characteristics. The story is told in rhyme, which will work well for young readers. The story can be read at surface level but also contains paragraphs with a bit more description that will make this board book appeal to older readers as well. It ends up being quite educational. For instance, when it discusses how fish inspired submarines, it talks about how they use similar mechanisms to sink or float with some detail on the process.

Colorful illustrations also make this a fun book to look at, with plenty of detail and textured-looking styles that will keep the attention of young readers. The backmatter includes some additional animals with the things they inspired and asks readers to come up with their own ideas for how to solve a problem by watching animals.

Final verdict: Educational and fun to read, COPY THAT, COPY CAT! is an entertaining lift-the-flap board book that is sure to teach and inspire young readers to be inventive!