Animal World

Animal World lots of diffrent Animal

Grade 4-6-- Two oversized volumes that feature appealing, colorfully illustrated double-page spreads. Closer inspection reveals, however, that oversimplification and a rigid format lead to confusion and even errors. The books cover general types of habitats and the creatures that live there, but very little information can be gleaned about any one. Both conclude with a discussion of endangered species. Each section begins with an illustration of wildlife found in a particular habitat, keyed to a list of names, and a small world map highlighting similar locations. It is not always clear whether the animals shown inhabit one particular desert or forest, or are representative of different parts of the world. In both texts, ``Cold Forests'' are described as occurring in Northern Europe, Asia, and North America while the accompanying map shows them also as far south as the tip of South America. Children searching for wetlands will conclude from the map that there are only two. In Bird World , the ``Cassin finch'' (correctly Cassin's finch) is erroneously described as one of the most common birds on North America's Pacific Coast. While it does not emphasize habitats, the ``Eyewitness'' series (Knopf) covers these subjects more accurately and coherently. --Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.