The Moon of the Salamanders (The Thirteen Moons)

On a rainy March night, a salamander returns to the spring pond for the ancient mating dance of the salamanders

Grade 4-6-- Vibrant paintings, rich with woodland browns and greens, highlight this new edition, replacing the drab, gray-toned drawings of the original (Crowell, 1968, o.p.). The basic story remains the same: on the night of the first spring rain, a male salamander journeys to a breeding pond, encountering various plants and animals that share his habitat along the way. This revised text, however, is more concisely written and contains a greater number of scientific terms. While some will be understood in context, others require a good science background for full comprehension. Some passages have been omitted entirely. Students writing reports will still prefer to obtain their information from titles with a more straightforward, nonnarrative approach, such as Johnston's Slippery Babies: Young Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders (Morrow, 1991), which presents similar information on characteristics and mating behavior and is illustrated with full-color photos. George's title will appeal most to families looking for a good read-aloud on animals and ecology. Although there are fewer illustrations here, it's a definite improvement over the previous edition. --Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
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