(3) 4-6 Last Minute Science Projects with Biomes series. Illustrated by Tom LaBaff. The activities in these books are mainly short projects that demonstrate principles of physical science and mathematics within the context of biomes. Students procrastinating over the completion of their science-fair projects will find what they need to conduct the experiments, including illustrations of the experimental steps and background on scientific method and ecology that can round out their reports. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Last Minute Science Project with Biomes titles: Desert Experiments, Grasslands Experiments, Rain Forest Experiments, Taiga Experiments, Temperate Forest Experiments, and Tundra Experiments.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Presenting a year's cycle of life in a boreal forest, this book features Spirin's remarkably detailed paintings of plants and animals, from winter's hibernating bears to spring's pitcher plants. Guiberson uses onomatopoeia on almost every page, and the sounds (Scritch, scritch!) help bring the taiga to life. She also emphasizes the integrated ecology of the forest and the threats to it. Websites.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) K-3 Counting in the Biomes series. Readers count from one to ten as they learn about the different flora and fauna of each biome. Left-hand pages feature a question and its answer in large type (e.g., "How many moose do you see? One") followed by brief paragraphs of informative but dull text. Opposite are photographs for counting, though some confusingly contain more of the specific item than indicated. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Counting in the Biomes titles: Counting in the Ocean and Counting in the Taiga.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) YA Biomes of the Earth series. Illustrated by Richard Garratt. Each volume of this extremely dense, textbooklike series first begins with a preface defining biome, next moves on to that biome's geography and geology, then covers topics including biodiversity, history, and ecology. The plethora of well-captioned maps, diagrams, charts, and inset text boxes and photos breaks up the highly scientific writing. Pages are color-coded for quick reference. There are five other spring 2006 books in this series. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Biomes of the Earth titles: Deserts, Grasslands, Taiga, Tundra, and Wetlands.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 World of Biomes series. This series emphasizes the interconnectedness of wildlife and plant life through discussion of biome climate, individual species and communities of animals, and plants. Striking, colorful photography and attractive design are highlights. Diagrams show food chains and other connections within the biome. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these World of Biomes titles: The Forested Taiga, The Frozen Tundra, The Temperate Forest, and The Tropical Rain Forest.

Reviewer: Connie ANn Kirk

(4) 4-6 Living Habitats series. These factual books explain habitats according to what people, animals, and plants live there, as well as the effects the area has on humans and vice versa. Busy spreads include captions, descriptive photos, and "Did You Know?" fact boxes. These books pack a lot of information into the page count. Map, reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Living Habitats titles: Living in a Rain Forest, Living in the Taiga, Living in the Tundra, and Living on a Mountain.]

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 4-6 Biomes Atlases series. Each book begins with a biome map and a description of the biomes of the world, then describes the climate, plants, animals, and cultures specific to the featured biome; geographic examples are interspersed. Packed with information and colorful illustrative material, the format is a well-organized if visually overwhelming cross between textbook and encyclopedia. There are seven other new books in this series. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Biomes Atlases titles: Deserts and Semideserts, Oceans and Beaches, Taiga, Tropical Grasslands, and Arctic Tundra and Polar Deserts.]

Reviewer: Hilary Breed Van Dusen

(4) 4-6 Biomes of North America series. Illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff. With attractive color photos, black-and-white spot illustrations, and a simple design, the plants, animals, and climate throughout the year of these two biomes are discussed. Although the books are clearly written, the pretense of the reader actually being on the tundra or in the forest ("Hear that rustling sound?") is sometimes distracting. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey