(4) K-3 Countries We Come From series. In a visually attractive but superficial introductory series, each volume begins with fairly vague descriptive words (e.g., "Huge," "Historic," "Stunning") paired with bright photos. A smattering of facts about geography, animals, history, language, jobs, culture, and food follow, accompanied by engaging photos. Although a child appears on each cover, no personalizing anecdotes are included. "Fast facts" appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Countries We Come From titles: Russia, England, Germany, and Ukraine.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(3) K-3 See Them Grow series. These substantive texts explain, step-by-step, how the titular insects develop from the time of fertilization (primarily from the time they hatch) to adulthood. Butterfly is the standard metamorphosis-focused fare; Dragonfly has more unusual facts, especially concerning mating rituals. Both are clear and accessible, with illuminating close-up photographs, labeled images, and defined terms. Additional facts about each insect are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these See Them Grow titles: Butterfly and Dragonfly.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) K-3 Tiptoe into Scary Places series. Rundown buildings, deserted locations, and ghost stories provide the creepy premise of this series. Each volume includes four spooky locations in a category, but some examples are a stretch and others are only indirectly related to their location. Background info, brief details on a specific haunting, and crisp photographs round out the presentation. There are four other spring 2017 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Tiptoe into Scary Places titles: Horror Hotels, Haunted Amusement Parks, Deserted Prisons, and Spooky Libraries.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) K-3 Countries We Come From series. In a visually attractive but superficial introductory series, each volume begins with fairly vague descriptive words (e.g., "Colorful," "Busy," "Beautiful") paired with bright photos. A smattering of facts about geography, animals, history, language, jobs, culture, and food follow, accompanied by engaging photos. The great geographic and ethnic diversity of many of these countries is barely mentioned. "Fast facts" appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Countries We Come From titles: The Philippines, China, India, Vietnam, and South Korea.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Countries We Come From series. Visually attractive but superficial introductions, each volume begins with fairly vague descriptive words (e.g., "Colorful, Busy, Warm" for Guatemala) paired with bright photos. A smattering of facts about geography, animals, history, language, jobs, culture, and food follow, accompanied by engaging photos. Although a child appears on each cover, no personal anecdotes are included. "Fast facts" appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Countries We Come From titles: El Salvador and Guatemala.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Countries We Come From series. A visually attractive but superficial introduction to Mexico, the volume begins with three fairly vague descriptive words ("Warm, Colorful, Lively") paired with bright photos. A smattering of facts about geography, animals, history, language, jobs, culture, and food follow, accompanied by engaging photos. Although a child appears on the cover, no personal anecdotes are included. "Fast facts" appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Weird but Cute series. Though they offer only barebones information, these books for beginning readers are accessible introductions to standard features of nonfiction. With large close-up photos dominating the pages, each volume touches on its subject's habitat, diet, care of young, behaviors, and defenses; the "weird but cute" angle isn't a focus. Vocabulary words are printed in bold type and defined in an appended picture glossary. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Weird but Cute titles: Barn Owl and Rockhopper Penguin.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) K-3 Weird but Cute series. Though it offers only barebones information, this book for beginning readers is an accessible introduction to standard features of nonfiction. With large close-up photos dominating the pages, the volume touches on geckos' habitat, diet, care of young, behaviors, and defenses; the "weird but cute" angle isn't a focus. Vocabulary words are printed in bold type and defined in an appended picture glossary. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues 2 series. In these books, each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown and more clues are given, the reader may start to guess what animal the book is about. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Zoo Clues 2 titles: My Body Is Tough and Gray, My Tongue Is Long and Curves, My Ears Are Huge and Fuzzy, My Mane Is Short and Spiky, and My Whiskers Are Long and White.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues 2 series. Each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown and more clues are given, readers try to guess what animal the book is about; the big reveal: a sawfish. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. Reading list. Ind.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues 2 series. In these books, each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown and more clues are given, the reader may start to guess what animal the book is about. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Zoo Clues 2 titles: My Body Is Tough and Gray, My Tongue Is Long and Curves, My Ears Are Huge and Fuzzy, My Mane Is Short and Spiky, and My Whiskers Are Long and White.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues 2 series. In these books, each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown and more clues are given, the reader may start to guess what animal the book is about. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Zoo Clues 2 titles: My Body Is Tough and Gray, My Tongue Is Long and Curves, My Ears Are Huge and Fuzzy, My Mane Is Short and Spiky, and My Whiskers Are Long and White.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers series. Titles in this approachable series provide introductions to the lives and purposes of various working dogs. Told in simple language from the dogs' perspectives and punctuated by occasional fact boxes, the information covered ranges from particular character traits to each service dog's specific tasks. Engaging photographs of dogs in real-life situations are a highlight. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review includes these Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers titles: Sled Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Guide Dogs, Search-and-Rescue Dogs, and Service Dogs.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers series. Titles in this approachable series provide introductions to the lives and purposes of various working dogs. Told in simple language from the dogs' perspectives and punctuated by occasional fact boxes, the information covered ranges from particular character traits to each service dog's specific tasks. Engaging photographs of dogs in real-life situations are a highlight. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review includes these Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers titles: Sled Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Guide Dogs, Search-and-Rescue Dogs, and Service Dogs.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers series. Titles in this approachable series provide introductions to the lives and purposes of various working dogs. Told in simple language from the dogs' perspectives and punctuated by occasional fact boxes, the information covered ranges from particular character traits to each service dog's specific tasks. Engaging photographs of dogs in real-life situations are a highlight. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review includes these Bow-Wow! Dog Helpers titles: Sled Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police Dogs, Guide Dogs, Search-and-Rescue Dogs, and Service Dogs.

Reviewer: Rebecca Reed Whidden

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues series. In these books, each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown, and more clues are given, the reader may start to figure what animal the book is about. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. There are six other fall 2014 books in this series. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Zoo Clues titles: My Skin is Gray and Wrinkly, My Tail is Long and Striped, My Fangs are White and Sharp, and My Fur is Thick and Spotted.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) K-3 It's a Disaster! series. Natural disasters in the form of extreme weather and earthquakes are explained in large print and illustrated with photographs. Beginning readers will learn how these events originate and how they can keep safe during them. The simple texts get the basic information across; depictions are factual (if incomplete) and vivid without over-dramatizing. Four-word picture glossaries are appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these It's a Disaster! titles: Flood, Blizzard, Earthquake, Tsunami, Hurricane, and Tornado.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 It's a Disaster! series. Natural disasters in the form of extreme weather and earthquakes are explained in large print and illustrated with photographs. Beginning readers will learn how these events originate and how they can keep safe during them. The simple texts get the basic information across; depictions are factual (if incomplete) and vivid without over-dramatizing. Four-word picture glossaries are appended. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these It's a Disaster! titles: Flood, Blizzard, Earthquake, Tsunami, Hurricane, and Tornado.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(3) K-3 Zoo Clues series. In these books, each page contains a clue and a partial photograph made to look like a puzzle with pieces missing. As new photos are shown, and more clues are given, the reader may start to figure what animal the book is about. A clever concept and concise language make this series highly appealing. A fact page and map are appended. There are six other fall 2014 books in this series. Reading list. Ind. Review covers these Zoo Clues titles: My Skin is Gray and Wrinkly, My Tail is Long and Striped, My Fangs are White and Sharp, and My Fur is Thick and Spotted.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(4) 4-6 Special Ops II series. This series centers on special units of the American armed forces. Each book recounts deeds of selected heroes, emphasizes unit members' intense and demanding training, briefly describes major historical successes, and concludes by covering necessary gear. Though they vary in quality and effective layout, military fans will appreciate the many photographs and maps accompanying the readable texts. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Special Ops II titles: Army Night Stalkers in Action, Navy SEAL Team Six in Action, CIA Paramilitary Operatives in Action, and Marine Scout Snipers in Action.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg