(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Explore Life Cycles series. Close-up, full-color photographs depict box turtles growing from eggs to maturity in this appealing series installment. Each picture is accompanied by two to four sentences of description per page, detailing essential features such as how the creatures hatch, feed, hibernate, and grow. Appended critical thinking questions may encourage young readers to revisit the text for answers. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Explore Life Cycles series. This series entry explains how a bean seed grows in the soil, sprouting roots and leaves. The plant is pollinated by a bee and produces buds, pods, and finally next year's seeds. Sharp photographs and black text on a pale green background communicate the action with clarity and detail. An appealing presentation for young readers, with critical thinking questions appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Explore Life Cycles series. This title begins with a monarch butterfly laying its eggs, then it explores a caterpillar's transition from egg to chrysalis to butterfly. Detailed, close-up photographs depict each stage, while the text explains how a caterpillar sheds its skin several times while growing and how butterflies suck nectar from flowers. An appealing introduction for young naturalists, with appended critical thinking questions. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Birds of Prey series. A controlled-vocabulary but repetitive text highlights physical features as well as eating, nesting, and chick-rearing habits of a bird of prey; a brief chapter on potential threats and conservation efforts concludes each volume. Relevant full-page photos on each spread provide close-ups of the birds in action. Common Core tie-ins and a simple map are included. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Pebble Plus: Birds of Prey titles: California Condors, Golden Eagles, and Peregrine Falcons.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Pebble Plus: Snakes series. This series focuses on physical appearance, geographical location, reproduction, and defense mechanisms. Each book presents its limited information in easy-to-read text with hints of sensationalism ("Strike! The cobra sinks sharp fangs into its prey"), while large, glossy color photographs of varying quality capture the drama. Vocabulary is suited to beginning readers; content is best for snake enthusiasts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pebble Plus: Snakes titles: Garter Snakes, Anacondas, and Cobras.

Reviewer: Jenn Matters