Furs, Feathers, and Flippers: How Animals Live Where They Do

Lauber, Patricia

ISBN 10: 0590450719 ISBN 13: 9780590450713

Publisher: Scholastic, 1994

Synopsis

An exciting journey around the world helps young explorers discover how animals and their habitats fit together in all types of environments from oceans to deserts to forests to grasslands--complete with beautiful photographs and an index.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 4-6-A lavish number of clear, bright, half-and full-page, full-color photographs enhance a brief, accurate text that describes animal lifestyles (if not life cycles) in a variety of habitats. While Lauber generalizes certain geographic areas (the seas of Antarctica being circumpolar, and the Northern tundra encompassing parts of Europe, Asia, Greenland, and North America), she is quite geospecific elsewhere (the forests of New England and the deserts of the Southwest U.S.). A seasonal description is included for each area, and while larger life forms receive the spotlighted attention, minor ones are acknowledged, especially in the photo captions. While such a broad overview cannot meet any deep informational needs, it does point up the environmental differences that affect animals and plants, and that may have contributed to their evolution. Oddly missing is the rain forest, a surprising gap in what readers expect will be a global set of ecological windows. Occasionally, as in the specific grass-eating techniques of coexisting grazers on the Africa plains, a great deal of material is imparted in a couple of paragraphs. The book closes with a plea for protection of these habitats and their varied populations. An attractive item for browsing and for piquing the interest of animal lovers.
Patricia Manning, Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-8. With amazing color photographs and a precise, factual text, Lauber's beautiful photo-essay shows how animals adapt to the places where they live. In separate chapters, she looks at five widely differing habitats: the seas of Antarctica, the grasslands of East Africa, the forests of New England, the desert of the southwestern U.S., and the tundra of the Far North. In each case, she shows with vivid examples how the plants and animals "fit together" to help each other survive through the day and through the seasons. The connections are amazing (for example, the grass-eating zebras, wildebeests, and topis can share a habitat and graze together because they do not eat the same parts of the grass). Each chapter includes a small map and splendid color photographs from a variety of sources. There's a humpback whale seen close up with its mouth wide open; just as stirring are the aerial view of a caribou herd streaming onto the tundra and the picture of a leopard taking its ease in a tree. The drama of such pictures will start kids browsing; then the detailed captions and the clear, compelling text will hold their attention. Lauber's final plea for the environment grows right out of her story. Hazel Rochman

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590450719
• ISBN 13: 9780590450713
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 48