(4) K-3 Illustrated by Wendell Minor. Wendell Minor's accomplished illustrations are the standout feature of this picture book celebration of bears: each double-page spread captures the eye with dramatic composition and assured rendering of the textures of their pelts. The rhyming text is playful, but its occasional insecure scansion makes it somewhat less successful. Facts about the eight species are appended. Websites.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) K-3 "If you were a penguin, / what could you do?" Spare rhyming text answers that question, describing penguins frolicking in their surroundings and providing bits of information about physical and behavioral characteristics, habitat, and diet along the way. Vivid realistic illustrations show ten different species of penguin and their environments. Appended "Penguin Fun Facts" elaborate on points in the main text. Websites.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi