I’m doing the A-Z challenge this month along with many other bloggers. You can find a complete list on the official A-Z Website under the tab 2012 A to Z Challenge Signup List. All of the participants will go through the alphabet for the first 26 days of the month and do a blog piece about a word that starts with that letter. Today we have the letter A, and I decided to write about two funny animals.
When I went on Amazon to find a book about Aardvarks, I was surprised to see how many there are about this funny little animal, all with the same or very similar title. The most recent is by Simon Drew, an English author. His A is for Aardvark was published in 2010. It is a clever book that shows children, via the pictures and the text, a bit about this interesting animal that eats bugs. Since some kids like to eat bugs, the appeal is evident.
That made me think of other small animals with funny names and amusing characteristics. Some years ago a writer friend, Dee Stuart, wrote a charming book, The Astonishing Armadillo, about a creature who also likes to eat bugs, as well as a bit of dirt. More appeal for the younger set who doesn’t mind tasting a bug or two. Folks in the Southwest are familiar with this creature that carries his armor on his back and doesn’t seem to get how to cross the road without getting squashed, despite that armor.
There are a lot of jokes about the armadillo. “Why did the chicken cross the road?”
“To show the armadillo how to do it.”
Bada boom!
Hi Maryann! I’m an A-Zer too. Popped over because I my post is about a lizard that lives in our living room and thought maybe your were writing about an aardvark that lives in yours. Soooo glad to see that’s not the case!
LOL, I thought I’d heard all the chicken crossing the road jokes. I’m an A-Zer, too. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. I will go check out your blogs tonight. I am about to close down for the day and go spend the rest of it with my daughter at the movies.
Hi, came by because you are in one of the five spots after me in the A – Z Challenge.
Nice to meet you.
Hehehehe I enjoyed your take on A. Aardvarks are native to my country, South Africa. Aardvark (pronounced art-fark (with rolling r’s)) directly translated means Earth pig.
Sorry. I’m a trivia freak. 🙂
Misha, thanks for sharing that bit of trivia. And thanks for coming all the way to East Texas from South Africa.
Hi Maryann! I didn’t know you were going to do the A to Z, so it’s a lovely surprise finding you on the list. I’m fond of the word “aardvaark”, so posts about this interesting creature get my attention. I’ve only seem them (and armadillos as well) at the zoo though.
Patricia Stoltey
I knew next to nothing about aardvarks until I read your post. I have seen armadillos when we traveled and hiked in Texas. We were pretty excited 🙂
Thanks for visiting my blog during the A-Z Challenge. Love the Aardvark, it’s my newphew’s favourite animal.
Both fascinating animals, with crazy fun names to say!