(4) K-3 Illustrated by Brendan Kearney. Goggle-eyed planets, asteroids, galaxies, and spacecraft (plus a few aliens traveling among them) on recto pages face paragraph-length (sometimes silly) presentations of interesting information about each featured item. The "Solar System" section focuses on figures (e.g., a planet's diameter, distance from the sun, length of orbit); "Galaxies" covers types and origins of galaxies and nebulae; and “Exploring Space” introduces satellites, robot rovers, and the ISS. Back matter with more straightforward information would have been useful.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Marta Sorte. Each two-page spread presents a (not-very) "wacky" fact about a pet and a "More About..." blurb on that animal, with a slick, cartoony illustration on the facing page. The usual suspects, dogs and cats, are included, along with the less-common hedgehogs, rats, toads, and more. The lively writing and humorous pictures make this an entertaining browsing book; readers may be too entertained to realize they're also learning some science.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) K-3 Up Close series. This book shows readers via a close-up camera lens the colorful and often strange world of reptiles and amphibians. Young naturalists will be drawn to the psychedelic-looking images of green tree pythons, horned frogs, frilled-neck lizards, chameleons, bearded dragons, and more. Brief but informative text with humorous comments accompany the bold, colorful photos. Notes on photography and camera mechanics are included. Ind.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg