(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. A monk seal got a fishhook caught in her mouth and almost starved. Rehabilitated by a team of scientists, "Honey Girl" was released back into Hawaiian waters. Readers will cheer Honey Girl's recovery and birth of healthy pups into the endangered population. Unfortunately, no photos are included, but the realistic illustrations are somewhat appealing. Four pages of additional information and activities are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Close-up photographs add interest to the story of Otis the owlet, which includes basic information about owls for young bird enthusiasts. Questions that punctuate the text ("What do you think he decides to do?") disrupt the narrative's flow, and squeamish readers may balk at photographs showing owls with dead voles sticking out of their beaks. Additional facts and a matching activity are appended. Also available in Spanish. Bib.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 In easy-to-read text, this book superficially explores different types and purposes of tails on wild animals. Large color photographs sometimes awkwardly bleed across the gutter, and the book's formatting lacks section definition, leading to a relentless flow of information. Further information on "Tail Adaptations" and matching activities are appended. Also available in Spanish.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) K-3 Kurtz gives five criteria for living things, with examples and exceptions shown for each. He concludes that science doesn't offer a "perfect" way to differentiate between living and nonliving things, but when something displays all those five characteristics, it's probably living. Impressive photos, simple text, and activity pages make this an appealing tool for introducing a complex concept. Also available in Spanish. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. Bats, opossums, frogs, fireflies, and more "creep" at night. Over two spreads, rhyming couplets (red foxes "Waking up" is followed by "Noisy pup" on the next page showing wolves) are each accompanied by short paragraphs of facts about the animals. The text and realistic illustrations are serviceable, but both could have done more to demonstrate connections among the nocturnal creatures. Back matter includes educational activities.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Susan Detwiler. Photographs by Brady Barr, Jessica Rosnick, and Mario Aldecoa. This accessible diary, in English with occasional Spanish words and translations, gives a fictionalized account of schoolchildren's hands-on study of American crocodiles in Costa Rica. Alexa records the progress of a baby croc from its hatching to its release in the wild. Page design is haphazard, but realistic drawings and photographs lend a you-are-there feel; back matter provides more information about crocs and conservation.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Phyllis Saroff. Collared lemming Tuktuk discovers the perfect winter bedding: a fur-lined kamik (Inuit boot). As Tuktuk drags it to his burrow, a polar bear, an Arctic fox, and a caribou all want the boot for themselves. The dull and familiar trickster tale is elevated by eye-catching realistic illustrations conveying the tundra's natural beauty. Back matter includes information on Arctic seasons and wildlife and a matching activity. Glos.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laura Jacques. In this "Emperor's New Clothes" adaptation with tornado facts forced in, weasel Travis the Tornado Tamer offers to protect an all-animal town by creating a magical cover that only the smart and special can see. After a tornado hits, the trickster moves on (as "an Earthquake Ender"). Slick illustrations include animals humorously wearing old-timey costumes. Tornado information and activities appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 In a somewhat too-lengthy text, Holland presents a very basic overview of the functions of the legs and feet of moles, frogs, caterpillars, and nine other fairly common creatures. Large color photographs sometimes awkwardly bleed across the gutter and aren't always crisp (e.g., the legs on the backswimmer are indistinct). Further information and matching activities are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christina Wald. As Kat and Gram Hatter clean up park trash, Kat also searches for coins to buy ice cream. During their "treasure hunt," Gram explains the value of different coins, and she folds paper hats for Kat to wear. This passable, mildly quirky intro to basic money concepts includes colorful illustrations of characters sporting unusual hats. Related facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein. To save her flowers from winter cold, young rabbit Kate digs up annuals to take inside. In her enthusiasm, she pots too many, but she finds a solution: give the extras to neighbor animals (though some of their homes don't look especially cold-proof). The flower-filled pages are inviting, and Kate may inspire readers to rescue their own flowers. Four pages of facts and activities appended.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. Simple text mimicking oral tradition highlights the importance of elephants as a keystone species in the savanna ecosystem, providing food, water, and shelter for other animals as a byproduct of their daily activities. Though the book's flow is slightly uneven, the illustrations bring the setting to life with subtly varying textures. Back matter includes additional information about savannas and elephants.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. A girl and her scientist father find salamanders in a vernal pool; for five months, she records what she and her dad observe about two hatchlings they bring to the lab ("since Dad is a scientist"). A scrapbook-like design includes color photos of varying quality and amateurish drawings. More information about salamanders and the work of biologists is appended.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(4) K-3 When a young mammoth goes exploring, she crashes through thin ice and is swept downstream. Woolly encounters various prehistoric animals--including humans--before returning to the security of her herd. The illustrations show almost-smiling animals and reflect rather than extend the text, which tends toward an overly cute tone. An activity and additional information are appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Close-up photographs accompany this discussion of a variety of animals' mouths. Different types of teeth, beaks, and mandibles are featured along with explanations of how each mouth and its unique components are best suited for each animal. Simple (but overly long in places) text makes this suitable for beginning nature enthusiasts. Back matter provides review and encourages further exploration. Glos.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Phyllis Saroff. From a lion's roar at dawn to the terrified shriek of a captured baby baboon at noon to the high-pitched sounds of bats hunting at night, the savanna is brought to life through evocative descriptions of a day's animal sounds. Dramatic realistic illustrations are sometimes marred by garish colors. Back matter includes experiments and information on sound and a prey-and-predators sorting quiz.

Reviewer: Grace Worcester Greene

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Allen Klein. This introduction to unlearned animal behaviors explains (somewhat simplistically) that baby animals "just know" how to find food, fly, and swim on their own. Tongue-in-cheek illustrations dramatize the textual comparisons between animal babies and their needier human counterparts ("No one reminds a caterpillar to eat her leaves"). End pages expand on the story with additional information and activities for concept reinforcement.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Shennen Bersani. Each on a double-page spread, thirteen brief poems offer silly interpretations of animals' symbiotic relationships. The various rhyme schemes are mostly unsuccessful, but, paired with back matter explaining the scientific concept and differentiating between mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, they are mildly entertaining vehicles for the information. Bersani's detailed, realistic illustrations are suitable. A matching activity is also appended. Bib.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 In accessible if pedestrian text, this compact volume covers ways raptor centers rehabilitate injured, ill, or orphaned birds of prey such as eagles, owls, and falcons. Large color photos feature the birds (both in recovery and in the wild) as well as their human helpers, though the page design is uninspired. Additional information--including how to help an injured raptor--and a quiz are appended.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 This overview superficially covers placement, size, structure, and other features of different animals' eyes, providing a simple introduction to the subject. The full-bleed double-page photographs are clear but get lost in the gutter. "Fun facts," a detailed four-word glossary, and a matching game conclude the book. Steve Jenkins's Eye to Eye is a more useful, attractive offering.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn