Shark or Dolphin?

April 1, 2011

Gr 2-3-Though not particularly helpful for quick identification-"Most butterflies fly during the day," while "Most moths fly at night," is a characteristic distinction-these dual profiles of common creatures should give budding naturalists an increased understanding of how scientists use appearance and behavior to classify sometimes-similar living things, along with introducing important terms like "cephalothorax" and "chrysalis." Spreads feature sharply detailed paired photographs of identified specimens seen from the same angle and at roughly equal size (i.e., not always to scale), with accompanying explanatory statements. The highlighted differences are then recapped on a single spread, and every book closes with a salient and potentially surprising new fact about each type of animal. Consider these books to lay groundwork for nature expeditions and for later studies of taxonomy.

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July 1, 2011
This clever compare-and-contrast approach makes differences between often-confused creatures easy to understand and remember. For each spread, large-print text introduces a point of comparison ("Fish or Mammal?" "Scales or Skin?"); answers appear alongside vibrant captioned photos of the animals. Helpful color-coded summaries and "What a Surprise!" facts are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)