(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. This book presents a year in the life of a coyote struggling to survive on outskirts of a city. Coyote's activities in the four seasons are succinctly recounted, with abrupt transitions from season to season. Though the stilted prose strains for lyricism, Caple's beautiful nature illustrations compensate, and overall the book is useful for classroom discussion of urban wildlife.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. This book highlights the sleeping habits of fourteen animals. Each double-page spread is dominated by a large, attractive illustration of an animal resting in its natural habitat; the environments are different enough to offer some visual variety. A singsongy four-line poem gives a broad introduction, while a paragraph of straight text expands on the poem and provides more detailed information.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. From spring to winter, fourteen watercolor scenes with strong black lines illustrate leaf attributes and enhance this appreciation of leaves' variety. Distinctive features of different leaf types (e.g., floating, droopy, prickly, heart-shaped) are celebrated with a poem and some accompanying information. This treatment offers more aesthetic value than informational content. Joyce Sidman's similarly structured nature poetry books are richer selections.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. Arnold introduces dinosaur species that lived during the Cretaceous Period in the polar regions, once thought too cold for dinosaur survival. After an introduction on paleoclimatology and fossil finds, the discussion alternates between descriptions of major species and historical accounts of scientists and fossil collectors. Caple's luminous watercolors place the dinosaurs in lush northern forests and beaches reminiscent of today's Pacific Northwest. Websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2010

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. Arnold interweaves data about three major reptile groups--ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs--with accounts of fossil finds and theoretical advances that helped paleontologists put together the facts upon which the book is based. Size, eating habits, and location are explored. Arnold's informative text is accompanied by Caple's finely detailed illustrations of the various creatures in action under the sea. Timeline. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. Pterosaurs ranged from the size of a sparrow to the largest creature that ever flew (indeed, pterosaurs are the only reptile that ever flew). Arnold's clearly written text introduces various types of pterosaur, describes their physiology, and discusses possible reasons for their extinction. The watercolor illustrations capture the diversity of the species. A list of museums where readers can see pterosaur fossils is included. Ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. Arnold describes mammoths, their young, their habits, and their interactions with people past and present (in fossil form, of course). She includes intriguing details about the ways remains were preserved and are studied today. Comparisons to related (more familiar) animals help put the information into perspective. The illustrations convey a sense of the vastness of ancient landscapes and the massiveness of the mammoths. Ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2002

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. Providing evidence that today's birds are the descendants of theropod dinosaurs, the clear text describes fossilized feather imprints and compares physiological traits shared by some dinosaurs and birds, such as wishbones and three-toed feet. Soft-focus watercolor illustrations of feathered dinosaurs as well as ancient birds, sometimes posed next to contemporary birds, add visual credibility to the book's premise. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Laurie Caple. While not the largest ocean creature of all time, the megalodon is considered the largest ocean predator. Because this giant shark has been extinct for over two million years and left limited fossil material, Arnold uses the few known facts, plus scientific speculation, to describe the animal's anatomy, method of feeding, and breeding habits. The watercolor illustrations complement the clearly written text.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta