(3) 4-6 Brought back from the edge of extinction in the twentieth century, white rhinoceroses are once again being hunted, now for their horns. Markle details conservation efforts with a sense of optimism, despite the current grim situation. The text, which also includes information about rhinos' anatomy, habitat, and behavior, is brought to life with many large, clear photos. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) 4-6 In 2013, an irruption (sudden increase) of snowy owl sightings in southern Canada and the U.S.--far south of their normal summer home--prompted studies of their migration behavior. Markle's clear prose describes the research of Project SNOWstorm, which tracked snowy owls and collected data with GPS transmitters. Illustrative field photos help middle-grade readers follow the scientific investigation. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) 4-6 This is a scientific detective story, recounting how Kristofer Helgen recognized that a separate species of mammal--oliguitos--had been mistakenly identified as olingos for many years. Journeying to the cloud forests of Ecuador, Helgen was able to locate and observe living specimens. Markle's engaging book is as informative about olinguitos as it is about the thinking, research, and methodology of real scientists. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 The African penguin population has declined over the past centuries due to human actions such as commercial fishing, reducing breeding ranges, and oil spills. Markle profiles the multi-faceted efforts to preserve this species, from legal protections to volunteers who care for abandoned chicks. Photographs of penguins, scientists, and conservationists fill the pages, and captions provide additional facts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Each volume asks developing readers if they would want to become the titular animal. An unusually substantive easy-reader text, accompanied by relevant full-bleed photos, details the animal's habits, daily life, and parenting behaviors. Hokey "Ranger Rick" dialogue bubbles encourage readers to make meaningless personal connections (in Orca: "Would you have fun living in a pod?"). Additional facts and an activity are appended. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Gorilla, Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion, and Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Each volume asks developing readers if they would want to become the titular animal. An unusually substantive easy-reader text, accompanied by relevant full-bleed photos, details the animal's habits, daily life, and parenting behaviors. Hokey "Ranger Rick" dialogue bubbles encourage readers to make meaningless personal connections (in Orca: "Would you have fun living in a pod?"). Additional facts and an activity are appended. Glos. Review covers these I Can Read Book titles: Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Gorilla, Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was a Lion, and Ranger Rick: I Wish I Was an Orca.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Fabricio VandenBroeck. When all the usual places are dry during a long drought, elephant Little Calf's grandmother remembers a watering hole from a long-ago drought and leads the herd to water. Based on a real incident in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park (per the informative note), this suspenseful story highlights elephant intelligence and resourcefulness. VandenBroeck's paintings evoke textures of the arid savannah. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Deborah Hocking. The nighttime activities of a male beaver kit and his family are portrayed in rich, jewel-toned artwork and clear, informative text, both of which convey the poetry of the natural world. Through the seasons, life at the lodge and dam--created, tended, and expanded by generations of beaver families--is filled with dangers, sibling play, dam repair, and plenty of food. Additional facts and an author's note are appended. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) 4-6 Markle details the work of scientists as they race to save the declining population of wild Amur leopards--"the rarest big cats on Earth"--and work toward creating a new habitat site in the Russian taiga. Engaging main text and sidebars are interspersed with striking photos and detailed maps. An author's note and facts are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Thomas Gonzalez. One rainy March night, a girl and her mother and grandmother, donning slickers and rain boots, head to a busy city street to see something special: the yearly migration of toads in Philadelphia's Roxborough neighborhood to a reservoir to mate and lay eggs. Glistening, photorealistic mixed-media illustrations set the perfect milieu for this unique annual urban phenomenon. An author's note lends additional context.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) 4-6 Once nearly extinct in the wild due to deforestation, golden lion tamarins have made a comeback in their native Brazilian rainforest through zoos reintroducing captive-born monkeys and people planting "living bridges" of trees to help the tamarins travel from one forest patch to another. Excellent photos, interesting text, and an inspiring message will engage readers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Howard McWilliam. This clever book uses brief informative paragraphs, fact sidebars, and a combination of animal photographs and spirited caricature illustrations to demonstrate what humans would look like, be capable of, etc., if they sported a wide variety of animals' feet: with millipede feet, for example, you'd be a "marching band of one!" Information on human feet concludes the book.

Reviewer: Rebecca Kirshenbaum

(3) 4-6 Following an investigation into the possible causes of a large die-off of little brown bats in an upstate New York cave area, Markle demonstrates the fascination of a scientific mystery. Readers will find generous documentary photos and engaging information about bat life and physiology while witnessing the scientific method in action. Back matter includes information on bat conservation efforts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Mia Posada. The bar-tailed godwit is a shorebird with residences in Alaska and New Zealand. Brief text conveys information about godwit behaviors as they learn to fly, forage, and eat the enormous amount of food needed to fuel the journey. Creative paper-collage illustrations capture the fuzzy down of newborn chicks and the starry nights of flying. A list of resources is provided.

Reviewer: Devon Johnson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2013

(3) K-3 In this book, size comparison is an appropriate vehicle for information about bats. The selective facts are well chosen and their presentation is lively. From the large gray-headed flying fox to the tiny bumblebee bat, these flying rodents are described engagingly ("Big, leathery wings make a good raincoat"), and colorful, close-up photos enrich the text. A distribution map is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alan Marks. A snow leopard in Pakistan's Hindu Kush Mountains teaches her two cubs what they'll need to survive, such as how to hunt, take shelter, and "No matter what, stay clear of humans." Marks's illustrations effectively use watercolor for the snowy backgrounds and soft textured fur, with dark pencil for the animals' sharp features. Reading list, websites.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Markle presents readers with an unsolved scientific mystery: the disappearance of worker honeybees--Colony Collapse Disorder--that has important consequences for the greater environment, including humans. The major hypotheses and the evidence supporting or refuting them are examined. Well-written explanations of bee behaviors and biology, and detailed photographs of bees and beekeepers in action, are wrapped into the greater narrative. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Arachnid World series. Each book in this series introduces readers to the body structure, characteristics, and life cycle of a species of arachnid. Formulaic writing is generally enhanced by diagrams and stock photographs. The books are uniform in layout, design, and organization, making them more serviceable than inspired. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Arachnid World titles: Mites, Tarantulas, Wind Scorpions.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Arachnid World series. Each book in this series introduces readers to the body structure, characteristics, and life cycle of a species of arachnid. Formulaic writing is generally enhanced by diagrams and stock photographs. The books are uniform in layout, design, and organization, making them more serviceable than inspired. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Arachnid World titles: Mites, Tarantulas, Wind Scorpions.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) 4-6 Arachnid World series. Each book in this series introduces readers to the body structure, characteristics, and life cycle of a species of arachnid. Formulaic writing is generally enhanced by diagrams and stock photographs. The books are uniform in layout, design, and organization, making them more serviceable than inspired. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Arachnid World titles: Mites, Tarantulas, Wind Scorpions.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth