★ “Hale’s accessible tanka poems pack a lot into five lines. The softness of her detailed
relief prints effectively contrasts with the photographs highlighting human invention.”
—Horn Book, starred review
★ “A fascinating and creative look at a little-known STEM topic that is accessible to a
wide audience. Highly recommended.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“Inspiring, lovely to look at, and well presented.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A true STEAM book.”—Booklist
“This beautifully illustrated and thoughtful book is a wonderful introduction
to nature-inspired and biomimetic design.”
—Rosanna Ayers, Director of Youth Education, Biomimicry Institute
A Junior Library Guild gold standard selection
New York Public Library Best Books of 2022 list
NCTE 2023 Notable Language Arts award
Eureka! Nonfiction Children's Book Award Honor from the California Reading Association
COPYCAT: Nature-Inspired Design Around the World
written and illustrated by Christy Hale
Lee & Low Books
Illustrations of plants and animals and tanka poetry are paired with photographs of innovative inventions and designs found around the world to present captivating examples of nature-inspired design. A lotus leaf inspires the invention of the umbrella. A cat's eyes inspire the development of safety road reflectors. Discover how mimicking behaviors and strategies in nature lead inventors and designers to develop amazing new products, processes, and technologies that improve our lives and environment.
In this companion to her award-winning book Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building, Christy Hale has crafted an extraordinary collection that introduces readers to the surprising ways in which nature has sparked human creativity and innovation.
Watch the trailer:
Want more resources?
Get a copy of the teacher’s curriculum guide for use with Common Core State Standards
Print these downloadable PDFs for activities to complete with your students and signage for display on a bulletin board inside your classroom.
