Dolphins

November 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-Introductions to animals of the wild. In each volume, spreads pair eye-catching color photographs with a few simple sentences in large font. Potentially unfamiliar words are shown in different colors and are defined in the back matter's "Words to Know." While the set does not go into extensive detail, it does a good job of covering the basics of each animal's habitat, diet, physical description, and social interactions. The titles conclude with close-up photographs of the subjects with labeled body parts. The rhythmic text lends itself nicely to being read aloud, and the crisp layout offers a solid opportunity to start introducing nonfiction features.

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2011
Grades K-3 These new books in the Amazing Animals series will attract both beginning and struggling readers. The large, beautiful photos on each spread include vivid shots of animals in action as well as close-ups of their faces. Photo captions consistently add interesting animal facts, and occasional vocabulary words are defined at the bottom of the pages, adding to the clean, appealing layout. In addition to the engaging photos, the text is laid out in a large, easy-to-read font. The text, although made up of simple sentences, conveys plenty of interesting information. In Dolphins, Riggs presents information about types of dolphins, their size, calves, pods, communication, and where to see them. She even retells a Greek myth explaining dolphins friendliness to humans. One page of back matter cites two websites and two books for further reference and includes a short index as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
Vivid photographs are the highlight of these slim volumes that provide up-close views of the title mammals. Minimal text touches on habitat, appearance, food, and offspring; a brief (and vague) folk-story answer to a question about each animal (e.g., "Why are dolphins friendly to humans?" "Why do cheetahs have tear lines?") is appended. Reading list, websites. Ind.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)