(4) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist series. Focusing on animals from different prehistoric periods, these books describe what scientists infer about the creatures' physical features, behavioral traits, and habitats. Helpful comparisons to coexisting species, including predators, underscore their unique characteristics. Illustrations include awkward computer-generated images of dinosaurs on photographic backgrounds as well as diagrams and pictures of fossils. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist titles: American Mastodon and Brachiosaurus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist series. Focusing on animals from different prehistoric periods, these books describe what scientists infer about the creatures' physical features, behavioral traits, and habitats. Helpful comparisons to coexisting species, including predators, underscore their unique characteristics. Illustrations include awkward computer-generated images of dinosaurs on photographic backgrounds as well as diagrams and pictures of fossils. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Paleontologist titles: American Mastodon and Brachiosaurus.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Astronauts series. These information-packed volumes use age-appropriate vocabulary to teach about astronaut training and qualifications (Astronaut) and life on the International Space Station (Living). Both include many highly detailed photographs of astronauts in action. Some pages are packed with colorful text boxes, graphs, maps, and inset photos, but that should encourage multiple perusals. Common Core critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Astronauts titles: Astronaut in Training and Living in Space.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Astronauts series. These information-packed volumes use age-appropriate vocabulary to teach about astronaut training and qualifications (Astronaut) and life on the International Space Station (Living). Both include many highly detailed photographs of astronauts in action. Some pages are packed with colorful text boxes, graphs, maps, and inset photos, but that should encourage multiple perusals. Common Core critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer: Little Astronauts titles: Astronaut in Training and Living in Space.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source or site, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Core standards–aligned critical-thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer titles: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Capitol, The White House.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source or site, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Core standards–aligned critical-thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer titles: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Capitol, The White House.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source or site, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Core standards–aligned critical-thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Smithsonian Little Explorer titles: The Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Capitol, The White House.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Common Core critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources titles: The U.S. Constitution, The Liberty Bell, and That Statue of Liberty.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Common Core critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources titles: The U.S. Constitution, The Liberty Bell, and That Statue of Liberty.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources series. This engaging series strikes the right balance between information and images. Each volume focuses on a primary source, examining the events that led to its creation, its evolving role throughout history, and its current status. Well-captioned photographs, maps, documents, and paintings are featured prominently throughout, breaking up the age-appropriate texts. Common Core critical thinking questions are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Smithsonian Little Explorer: Introducing Primary Sources titles: The U.S. Constitution, The Liberty Bell, and That Statue of Liberty.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer series. This book engagingly introduces ten snake families, including colubrids, pythons, mambas, and sea snakes. Close-up photos and an accessible text balance the basic facts ("Garter snakes do not hurt people") with audience-pleasing snippets ("But they sometimes poop on people who pick them up"). "Critical thinking" questions designed ("using the Common Core") are appended to encourage further exploration of the topic. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer series. Lots of photographs, diagrams, and charts support a brief, accessible text to introduce hurricanes, their behavior and characteristics, and the destruction they cause. A world map covers different hurricane seasons, and "famous" storms are briefly profiled. The back matter includes "Critical thinking" questions designed ("using the Common Core") to encourage further exploration of the topic. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer series. In this dynamically designed book, readers will learn about how coral reefs are formed, different kinds of reefs, and the animals that live in and depend on the system. The text is simple and accessible, while captions to the eye-catching photographs nicely expand on the information. Common Core prompts are included in the back matter. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer series. This accessible, dynamically designed introduction to outer space covers all the basics. Diagrams, photographs, charts, and drawings help impart information about the solar system, the universe, comets and meteors, and other astronomy topics; two brief spreads touch on space technology and astronautics. Common Core connections are included in the back matter. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Smithsonian Little Explorer series. Using clear diagrams, accessible comparisons, and engaging illustrations and photographs, this book introduces different parts of the body--from cells to sense organs. The circulatory system, digestive system, and respiratory system are covered but not explicitly named or defined. The back matter includes "critical thinking" questions designed ("using the Common Core") to encourage further exploration of the topic. Reading list. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Kari Allen