Yes, bats can be scary, but they can be beautiful, too, as researchers M. Brock Fenton and Nancy B. Simmons show in their new book, “Bats: A World of Science and Mystery” (University of Chicago Press, $35). With images of a wide selection of the 1,300-odd species of the creature, the book covers bats both famous and obscure. The bumblebee bat, at roughly the length of your smallest pinkie joint, is thought to be the most petite mammal. Compare that with the giant flying fox, a bat with a wingspan of six feet and the heft of a small cat. The book also describes abilities like sonar, which has evolved to help bats navigate...