Beluga Whales

November 1, 2013

Gr 3-5-Each title starts out with a spread that explains what and where the Arctic region is then breaks off into its featured topic. Maps show where the creatures live. The texts are presented in a large font and the sentences are short. Spreads have different colored backgrounds, a layout that works well, except when black print is superimposed on dark blue. "Uncovered!" text boxes reveal additional information ("Snowy owls migrate if food becomes hard to find. They also migrate if the weather gets too cold or snowy"). The captioned photos display many clear action shots (e.g., a snowy owl about to pounce on a hapless rodent). Only a few photos are gory-such as one of a polar devouring a seal. A "Wow!" page finishes off each volume with a few more facts. Despite the busyness, this series is terrific for students interested in animals.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
These brief volumes give basic but solid overviews of the spotlighted Arctic animals, covering territory, anatomy, cold-adaptive features, diet, reproduction, and threats to survival. Large stock photos (of varying quality, some poorly laid out) give close-up views of the animals in their frosty habitats. Some of the serviceable text is repeated across the series; photo captions and sidebars provide additional facts. Glos., ind.

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