Crocodiles and Alligators (First Sight)

Part of a series which offers a view of different animals through photographs, explanatory illustrations and a simple, informative text. This book on crocodiles and alligators concludes with a survival file examining the efforts to conserve animals in danger.

Gr 4-6-- The formats of these broad surveys are striking; good clear color photographs or drawings appear on almost every page, alternating with short blocks of text. Boxed inserts with additional facts are scattered throughout. Included at the end of each book is an identification chart portraying representative species drawn to scale (colored dots indicate world distribution) and a simple cut-and-paste craft project. Of the two, Crocodiles and Alligators is the most useful. It is lucidly written and well organized , and, although some useful data is omitted (the egg tooth that helps a young crocodilian break out of its shell is not mentioned) , it compares favorably with Zim's more detailed Alligators & Crocodiles (Morrow, 1978; o.p.). Poisonous Insects briefly discusses over two dozen insects that are harmful to animals, plants, or humans. While clearly written, the book omits important information and contains inaccuracies. The text identifies the protozoans that an infected Malaria Mosquito injects into its victim as ``tiny animals.'' It also exaggerates the potency of the Black Bulldog Ant's venom and that of an unnamed South American bee (a ``killer'' bee?), stating that a single bite or sting will kill humans. Pringle's Here Come the Killer Bees (Morrow, 1986) explains that death after one sting is caused by an allergic reaction to venom, not the venom itself. --Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library

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