May 1, 2019
Gr 4-6-Each title examines the unusual features of six different animals. After an opening page comparing animals to superheroes, four-page profiles examine how one particular attribute helps each animal, along with a bit about physiology. Additional information about habitat or physical features is sometimes included. The use of broad generalizations, without delving into variations between species, can be misleading: it's true that chameleon color change can be related to disguise, for instance, but other causes are more common. A mixture of full-page photos and smaller insets provide useful images of the animals in action. Most, but not all, capture the highlighted feature effectively. Small cartoon drawings add a light touch without being too intrusive. VERDICT This series contains fun facts with minor flaws.
Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2019
Grades 2-5 In a premise tailor-made for competitive kiddos, this entry in the Animal Top 10 series (6 titles) counts down the top 10 animals with the biggest or oddest appetites. A few aren't surprises?like the blue whale, which eats literal tons of krill a day?but others are truly eye-opening. Check out the tiger shark, with such a voracious appetite that scientists have found car tires and license plates in their stomachs! Or the Argentine wide-mouthed frog, which boasts a maw half its body size. Perhaps none is as surprising as the winner, however: a pygmy shrew that eats the equivalent of its admittedly minuscule body weight every day. Full-color photos and occasional inset boxes break up the text, and a closing list of runners-up invites readers to decide for themselves who's hungriest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)