African Animals

From School Library Journal PreSchool-Grade 2. Superb full-color photography, simple but intelligent language, and excellent organization make this a standout in the growing field of nonfiction for the very young. Almost two dozen African species, mostly mammals, are brought to life and placed in the context of their environs. A brief introduction to this lush continent, and a final note about extinction will get children (and the adults reading to them) thinking about their own place in the world. Animals are grouped by habitat (grasslands, forests, and deserts), and basic locator maps show the extent of each area on the continent. A two-page spread is devoted to each animal, and while it is the spectacular photographs that dominate each spread, the brief, boxed text explicates each picture. The straightforward information succeeds in placing the animal in its own environment while exploring the relationship between the creature and a child's own world. "If you were a giraffe, you would be able to see into a second-story window!" Occasional questions provide a natural segue to open discussion. "How would you like to sleep in a tree at night?" This is a book that youngsters will want to return to again and again. Share it with story-time groups or suggest it for one-on-one reading.?Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FLCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. From