PreS-Gr 2-These visually attractive titles feature large-print text on pale colored backgrounds paired with appealing, full-color photographs of animals in their natural habitats. The writing is straightforward, with word repetition and simple sentence structure making the texts accessible to beginning readers. One or two lines appear on each spread: e.g., "Prairie dogs stay safe in burrows. Burrows are good homes for prairie dogs." The books don't stray far from the given focus of an animal and its home, describing the various types, contents, and purposes of each dwelling. Useful glossaries highlight words that may need further definition. A publisher-supported Web-based search engine guides students to age- and content-appropriate sites. While they are adequate additions to existing animal collections, these books shouldn't be the exclusive source of information on the topics.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Large, engaging photographs of foxes in their natural environment cannot compensate for a lackluster text that will leave readers with more questions than answers. For example, the text states that ""foxes put leaves and grass in their dens"" but doesn't say why. The words included in the brief (five-word) glossary aren't printed in bold in the text, which would have aided new readers with comprehension. Reading list. Ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.