The definitive, highly biased, and frequently accurate report card on evolution's illustrious (and sometimes absurd) 3.5-billion-year career.

From Aristotle to Charles Darwin, Carolus Linnaeus to the Crocodile Hunter, humans have been studying animals for thousands of years. But in all that time, no one has ever answered the most important question of all: Are these animals even any good?

We can all feel good about the king cobra. That is an A-plus animal. Think about it--you don't want to be the one who gives it an A-minus. But what about the hippo? You may think it's bald and wrinkly and adorably fat, but when you get up close to give it a big hug, you'll realize it weighs up to eight thousand pounds and can bite you in half. D-minus. And let's not even get started on the alpaca.

In "The Animal Review," Jacob Lentz and Steve Nash give authoritative listings and ratings of dozens of your favorite (and least favorite) animals. Expanded from their popular blog, the entries mix fascinating animal facts with hilarious assessments, set off with brilliantly captioned photos and enlightening charts and graphs. Organized by biosphere--animals that hail from the land, sea, sky, and "other," it's a perfect mix of humor and fascinating biology. Sophisticated yet kid friendly, this book is an appealing gift for animal lovers of all ages.