The Ugly Five are an odd-looking bunch with a bad reputation. Yet each of them has their own unique and fascinating story. Some are vital to their ecosystems, while others dazzle us with spectacular wild shows. Small five animals include the leopard tortoise, ant lion, elephant shrew, rhinoceros beetle, and the buffalo weaver. SHY 5. Pregnancies for female wildebeests last for approximately 8.5 months. They give birth in middle of herd. My real breakthrough was THE GRUFFALO, again illustrated by Axel. We work separately - he’s in London and I’m in Glasgow - but he sends me letters with lovely funny pictures on the envelopes. Bring along a camera with a long lens if you can. You’ll definitely want to get some close-ups of the ‘uglies’.

Mason wanted some superheroes in the story, whereas Michelle thought: “It was fun. I liked when they found their babies and the stork who pooed on his legs.”

Christmas Cards & Gift Wrap

One of my television songs, A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE, was made into a book in 1993, with illustrations by the wonderful Axel Scheffler. It was great to hold the book in my hand without it vanishing in the air the way the songs did. This prompted me to unearth some plays I’d written for a school reading group, and since then I’ve had 20 plays published. Most children love acting and it’s a tremendous way to improve their reading. So it is with a heavy heart that I have to report that The Ugly Five was something of a disappointment. For a school librarian, this is as close to sacrilege as you can get. There would be lots of ways to incorporate The Ugly Five into teaching. It would fit beautifully into any topic work on Africa or animals, particularly looking at how animals are suited to their habitats and the idea of food chains - both the vulture and the hyena are seen scavenging - and also how animals grow.

Vultures all have long, wide wings that allow them to glide gracefully at great heights. They can stay in the air for hours without effort. They can also spot other vultures coming down to prey miles away and scan for carrion with their sharp eyes.Marabous can eat anything, including termites, flamingos, and small birds and mammals, as well as human refuse and dead elephants. They share carcasses with other scavengers like vultures or hyenas. Did You Know?