(3) K-3 In this assemblage of collective nouns, Rzezak uses the animal group names as a starting point for an exploration of communal behavior and its links to survival. So, for example, a "cast of spider crabs" protect one another during the vulnerable molting period, and "colonies of penguins" create nurseries for the communal care of their children. The illustrations, which cleverly use a stencil technique to combine uniform forms with slight individual variations, provide both beauty and welcome humor, which offsets the sophisticated and relatively staid prose. Glos.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl