Strange animals from long ago linked to their unexpected modern relatives.

It's hard to imagine, but about 99% of all the species that ever lived are already extinct. Some died off suddenly during global catastrophes, while others gradually disappeared as the world evolved. But some animals didn't vanish altogether, and their distant relatives live among us today.

What were these ancient animals like? In a word, surprising. Ground-dwelling sloths were so tall they could nibble the leaves in treetops. Rabbit-sized camels scampered through the underbrush. Giant dragonflies the size of hawks were masters of the skies, swooping down on flies as big as chickadees.

These six modern animals are compared to their ancient ancestors:

• Dragonfly
• Beaver
• Armadillo
• Crocodile
• Camel
• Sloth.

Why did these fabulous creatures change? What did their world look like? How do scientists make the connection to each one's extraordinary past?

Author Claire Eamer distills millions of years of global history on the astonishing evolution of six modern-day animals. At the same time, readers are treated to a visual feast of artists' colorful renderings of the ancients, together with color photographs of their modern-day counterparts.

Swim with ancient creatures in the watery depths and meet their modern-day descendants.

Following in the steps of the acclaimed Super Crocs & Monster Wings, this highly engaging book looks at how many modern day animals came from the sea.

From 112-million-year-old platypuses to sea scorpions as large as crocodiles, readers will discover the ancient counterparts of creatures that reside on Earth today. Like so much of life, scorpions first flourished in the oceans but now exist in every land habitat, from rain forest to desert. As for the extraordinary platypus, it managed to survive the disaster that destroyed the dinosaurs and thrives today, exhibiting physical features of mammals, reptiles and birds.

Spiked Scorpions & Walking Whales features six different groups of animals:

• Polychaetes (segmented worms)
• Cephalods (mollusks, including the vampire squid)
• Scorpions
• Platypuses
• Whales
• Demon Ducks (giant birds with suitcase-sized beaks).

Engaging between-chapter spreads on related topics and amazing fun facts complement each section. This fully illustrated dip into the watery world will prove as fascinating as a stroll with a walking whale.

Take a walk in time by passing through remarkable entrances of kings, saints and slaves.

Many doors have an astonishingly rich history. Over the centuries, Traitors' Gate, the notorious entry into the Tower of London, has been a gateway into a fortress, a royal palace and even a prison.

The glorious and sometimes blighted history of doorways colorfully unfolds in profiles that richly tell the story of each history-rich portal. Other famous doorways featured include:

• The magnificent portal of al-Khazneh, carved into the side of a cliff in southern Jordan
• The entrance to Sankoré Mosque in Timbuktu, where 16th-century students entered to study underworld-famous scholars
• The door of the Castel Sant'Angelo, through which people fled to safety before invaders sacked Rome
• Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, where men, women and children stumbled out the door and onto slave ships bound forthe Americas
• Meridian Gate in Beijing's Forbidden City -- palace, government headquarters and tourist center
• The Kremlin's gold-encrusted entry, where subjects nervously waited for the infamous Ivan the Terrible
• The T-shaped doorway of the Cliff Palace in the southwestern United States, rediscovered by a cowboy in the late 19th century.

Filled with fascinating facts and surprising stories, and accented by a superb selection of photographs, Traitors' Gate is an irresistible doorway to the past.

Swim with ancient creatures in the watery depths and meet their modern-day descendants.

Following in the steps of the acclaimed Super Crocs & Monster Wings, this highly engaging book looks at how many modern day animals came from the sea.

From 112-million-year-old platypuses to sea scorpions as large as crocodiles, readers will discover the ancient counterparts of creatures that reside on Earth today. Like so much of life, scorpions first flourished in the oceans but now exist in every land habitat, from rain forest to desert. As for the extraordinary platypus, it managed to survive the disaster that destroyed the dinosaurs and thrives today, exhibiting physical features of mammals, reptiles and birds.

Spiked Scorpions & Walking Whales features six different groups of animals:

• Polychaetes (segmented worms)
• Cephalods (mollusks, including the vampire squid)
• Scorpions
• Platypuses
• Whales
• Demon Ducks (giant birds with suitcase-sized beaks).

Engaging between-chapter spreads on related topics and amazing fun facts complement each section. This fully illustrated dip into the watery world will prove as fascinating as a stroll with a walking whale.