There have been so many amazing animal books released this year! In case you missed it, Animal Life: Secrets of the Animal World Revealed is a must-have for any animal book lover. Released January 17, 2011, this title from DK Publishing has been receiving rave reviews all year.

Produced in conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History, this richly illustrated volume includes photos as well as facts about some of the most interesting animals on earth. The book is very broad in scope, covering animal classification, anatomy, history, evolution, and behavior. You'll learn about the skeletal and muscular systems of animals, and even explore the ins and outs of various animal skin coverings, from bristles and fur to scales and feathers.

The information on animal behavior is highly interesting, with facts about hunting and feeding habits, reproduction, development, communication, intelligence, society, and living spaces described in illuminating and often surprising detail. Many animals are featured in this book, including lions, bats, bears, birds, horned toads, water spiders, and even garter snakes.

The work of Charlotte Uhlenbroek, Katie Parsons, Steve Parker, Elizabeth White, Tim Halliday, Kim Bryan, Chris Mattison, Frances Dipper, Juliet Clutton-Brock, Graham Scott, Sean Rands, Sanjida O'Connell, Rob Hume, and Douglas Palmer, the insight, perspectives, and unique viewpoints of many animal lovers comes through in the diversity of this book's contents. At 512 pages, this book is pretty hefty even as a paperback, but the wonderful photos and educational value of this massive tome makes it well worth the shelf space it will occupy in your home library.