(3) 4-6 How Nature Works series. This book introduces eight sea and two land creatures from the prehistoric past with the tenacity to still survive today. In white text on dark backgrounds and "Extreme Survival Secrets" sidebars, Ridley describes hardy animals that made it to the top of the evolutionary tree and stayed there. Startling close-up photos illustrate each species' biological persistence. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. Rhyming couplets on one side of a double-page spread face more-in-depth explanations of the interlocking ecological processes in an estuary or bay. Illustrations of estuary plants and animals include tiny captions identifying the species. The text is hard to read against some of the illustrations, but the author's enthusiasm is contagious and the information-dense text will satisfy budding naturalists. Supplemental material includes a species list. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Rebekah Raye. "You might mistake me for a puddle...I most certainly am not!" Vernal pools, temporary bodies of water on forest floors in springtime, are critical to the life cycles of their amphibian, invertebrate, and microorganism inhabitants. Lyrical passages about vernal-pool life are accompanied by highly informative sidebars; Raye's jam-packed, woodsy illustrations call for close examination. A welcome addition to books on natural habitats. Glos.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin