Gr 3-5-Children who have ever wondered how to differentiate between similar species should start with this series. Each title begins with an explanation of scientific classification, which can be a bit technical. (A chart would have been helpful.) Through describing the anatomy, diet, habitat, and life cycle of each species, the texts show how they are alike and not. A handy table midway through every volume makes comparison between creatures easy. The glossaries define most unfamiliar terms; however, some, such as "binocular vision" and "deciduous," are not included. The large, color photos are captioned, though in one apparent error, a caption in Bee shows a wasps' nest but notes that "Soon adult bees will come out." These titles are best suited for readers who want to learn about both subjects since it would be difficult to separate the information to report on one creature. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

At a glance, you'd think porcupines and hedgehogs were cousins. Not so! Once you get past their spiny hides, writes Rockwood, you will see that these two animals are not that closely related. Porcupines have around 30,000 quills, while hedgehogs have about 5,000 spines; but, as the numerous photos illustrate, they don't look similar up close, and their behavior, diets, and locations (a map would have been helpful) are quite different. The font choices battle for supremacy, making the book feel a bit crowded, but the facts are strong, especially when cleanly related in a two-page chart. Yes, we get baby info, too, and there's no contest: hoglets are cuter than porcupettes. A number of semichallenging, boldfaced vocabulary words, from foraging to omnivores, are defined in a closing glossary.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist