November 1, 2013
Gr 1-3-There's just enough information in these titles to satisfy the curiosity of young readers, while carefully controlled vocabulary, sentence structure, and page layout keep everything at an accessible level. Covering a single species within a larger group allows the authors to highlight their subjects' special abilities, such as the great white shark's hunting speed. However, in some cases the mixture of specifics and generalities becomes confusing. For example, in Green Sea Turtle, most of the facts presented apply to all sea turtles, though no other species are mentioned. Typical spreads feature a full-page photo on the right, with text and a smaller picture on the left. Selective labels and fact bubbles smoothly link images to the words. Reader-directed questions provide a critical-thinking component that ties in with Common Core requirements; a page turn usually reveals the answer within the next text block. These are solid choices, despite some vagueness around classification.
Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2014
These books use simple, easy-to-read texts and large, close-up photos to convey basic information about marine animals for beginning readers. Each spread features two or three large-type sentences and a colorful full-page photo. Sections focus on size, habitat, diet, anatomy, and reproduction. The books are elementary, but a simple design and quick page turns make them adequate first nonfiction readers. Reading list. Glos., ind.
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