(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Chuck Gonzales. Also written by Robin Epstein. This amusing volume describes various disasters and tips for how to survive them. Topics are arranged in alphabetical order from airplanes to woods, with a double-page spread devoted to each. Ample graphics and colorful pages enhance the presentation. Students will be entertained and informed as they browse. Ind.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) K-3 No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates series. This series combines gross-out elements with ecological and scientific details. The crisp close-up photographs are large and well captioned, with overall layout consistent throughout the series. The facts provided, though informative, seem randomly chosen, repetitive, and/or too vague at times. Some text is repeated among books. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates titles: Leggy Centipedes, Stinging Scorpions, Wiggly Earthworms, Bloodsucking Leeches, Roly-Poly Pillbugs, and Creeping Land Snails.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(4) K-3 No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates series. These books introduce readers to invertebrates, chronicling such information as how praying mantises keep clean and the different colors of stinkbugs. The close-up photos are vivid and engaging, but some include less-than-helpful labels: e.g., "frog" rather than the type of frog. The text is choppy but thorough enough to sustain interest. There are four other spring 2008 books in this series. Glos., ind. Review covers these No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates titles: Deadly Praying Mantises, Hidden Walkingsticks, Leaping Grasshoppers, Smelly Stink Bugs, Helpful Ladybugs, and Speedy Dragonflies.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) K-3 No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates series. These books introduce readers to invertebrates, chronicling such information as how praying mantises keep clean and the different colors of stinkbugs. The close-up photos are vivid and engaging, but some include less-than-helpful labels: e.g., "frog" rather than the type of frog. The text is choppy but thorough enough to sustain interest. There are four other spring 2008 books in this series. Glos., ind. Review covers these No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates titles: Deadly Praying Mantises, Hidden Walkingsticks, Leaping Grasshoppers, Smelly Stink Bugs, Helpful Ladybugs, and Speedy Dragonflies.

Reviewer: Betsy Murray

(4) K-3 SuperSized! series. A simple text combines with stock photos and maps to introduce the habitat, diet, life cycle, physical features, and behavior of the world's largest mammals. Comparisons are accessible ("A giraffe is about as tall as three adults standing on top of one another"), and despite some dumb section heads (e.g., "There She Blows!"), the text clearly presents very basic information. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these SuperSized! titles: African Elephant, Giraffe, and Blue Whale.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale

(4) K-3 SuperSized! series. Stock photos and maps support a simple text to introduce the world's largest and heaviest reptiles and amphibians. Though the writing is vague in places ("The snake will not have to eat again for a long time"), in general it provides a straightforward, accessible explanation of the habitat, diet, physical features, life cycle, and behavior of each animal. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these SuperSized! titles: Leatherback Turtle, Saltwater Crocodile, Komodo Dragon, Green Anaconda, and Chinese Giant Salamander.

Reviewer: Tamara DePasquale