Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs
Written by Maria Birmingham
Illustrated by Raz Latif
Published by Owl Kids Books
BOOK SYNOPSIS
A fun and engaging guessing game that demonstrates how even the most unusual animal pairs can be two of a kind.
Hummingbirds and giraffes, sharks and snails, meerkats and bees … at first glance, these pairings may seem as different as can be. But guess what? Hummingbirds and giraffes are both hummers, sharks and snails both have thousands of sharp teeth, and meerkats and bees are both huggers.
Featuring eight unexpected animal pairings, this informative and entertaining book gives readers an implicit lesson in empathy, highlighting that we are all more alike than we think.
Written in an interactive question-and-answer format perfect for reading out loud, Odd Couples is full of nonfiction fun with lots of visual humour and appeal.
MARIA BIRMINGHAM
I’ve always loved to read and write. When I was a kid, I couldn’t get my hands on enough books – everything from non-fiction books about animals or world records to novels by authors like Judy Blume and Gordon Korman. (Fun fact: I saw Gordon Korman at a book event a few years ago, but I was too starstruck to introduce myself!)
I got my start writing for kids at my first job as an editor for Owl Magazine. But I spent a lot of time editing other people’s work. It wasn’t until more than ten years later that I got the chance to write a book. I can tell you that when I held that book in my hands for the first time, I was very excited. Then it got even better. I met kids who had read and liked my book. I love to create something that kids might enjoy and get a laugh from!
Since that first book, I’ve published ten more and have a few more coming out in the next couple of years. My mind is always turning – wondering what other stories I might have to tell. And ideas can come from anywhere. Odd Couples came to me when I read that giraffes hum at nighttime. I’ve learned to keep my eyes open because you never know what might spark your curiosity and turn into a book.
When I’m not busy writing, you’ll find me reading – especially autobiographies and picture books – or hanging out with my family.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: https://mervv1.wixsite.com/mariabirmingham/about-me
Twitter: @mkbirmingham
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chomp-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Eat (Owlkids Books, 2025)
Can We Talk?: How Humans Stay In Touch (Orca Book Publishers, 2025)
When Nature Calls: The Unusual Bathroom Habits of the World’s Creatures (Red Deer Press, 2024)
Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs (Owlkids Books; 2023)
Are We There Yet?: How Humans Find Their Way (Orca Book Publishers, 2023)
Are We Having Fun Yet?: The Human Quest for a Good Time (Orca Book Publishers, 2023)
Canada Wild: Animals Found Nowhere Else on Earth (Nimbus Publishing, 2022)
Snooze-O-Rama: The Strange Ways That Animals Sleep (Owlkids Books, 2021)
Acting Wild: How We Behave Like Birds, Bugs, and Beasts (Owlkids Books, 2019)
Biometrics: Your Body and the Science of Security (Owlkids Books, 2017)
A Beginner’s Guide to Immortality: From Alchemy to Avatars (Owlkids Books, 2015)
Tastes Like Music: 17 Quirks of the Brain and Body (Owlkids Books, 2014)
Weird Zone: Sports (Owlkids Books, 2013)
RAZ LATIF
RAZ LATIF is an award-winning illustrator who has contributed to numerous publications including Chickadee, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, and Scientific American. Raz is based in Toronto, Ontario.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Website: https://razlatif.com/
Instagram: @razlatif
