(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright beach photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief text geared to pre-readers holds the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on the beach's natural wonders and creatures, and the pictures invite budding naturalists to take a closer look. The book begins with a "vocabulary tree" and ends with a matching activity.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 National Geographic Kids Readers series. Accompanied by striking close-up photos, four chapters focus on different aspects of animal parent/young behavior: finding food, movement, nest making, and using tools. A (sometimes confusing) exercise follows each section. Adults read the left-hand-page text and beginning readers read a simpler text on the right; the shared-reading concept can get in the way of the interesting content.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Meant to be shared, this "co-reader" includes a simple leveled text for the child (marked "I read") and text for a parent or skilled reader ("you read"), as well as tips on reading together. Chapters on the changing sky and the day- and nighttime activities of random animals and plants are uneven in content, but stock photos and reader activities are engaging.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright animal photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief texts geared to pre-readers hold the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action and the pictures invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. Each book includes a "vocabulary tree" to introduce new words and an appended activity. Review covers the following National Geographic Readers titles: Dive, Dolphin!, Peek, Otter!, and Trot, Pony!.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright kitten photos will capture the attention of children ready to read. The very brief text geared to pre-readers holds the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action and the adorable pictures invite young feline fanciers to take a closer look. The book includes a "vocabulary tree" to introduce new words and an appended activity.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright animal photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief texts geared to pre-readers hold the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action and the pictures invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. Each book includes a "vocabulary tree" to introduce new words and an appended activity. Review covers the following National Geographic Readers titles: Dive, Dolphin!, Peek, Otter!, and Trot, Pony!.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Glossy pages of sharp, bright animal photos will capture the attention of children learning to read. The very brief texts geared to pre-readers hold the slightest amount of information, but the emphasis is on animal action and the pictures invite budding wildlife watchers to take a closer look. Each book includes a "vocabulary tree" to introduce new words and an appended activity. Review covers the following National Geographic Readers titles: Dive, Dolphin!, Peek, Otter!, and Trot, Pony!.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. This "co-reader," with "You Read" pages (to be read by a fluent reader) alternating with "I Read" pages (to be tackled by an emergent reader), highlights interactions between plants, animals, and nonliving entities in a forest. The book, with its bright, relevant photos, occasionally obscures key facts (e.g., certain seasonal changes' specificity to deciduous forests).

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox