African Wild Dogs

“Meet Some Pups” suggests the opening chapter title. Hey, you don’t have to ask twice! The Wild Canine Pups series is just the thing for readers who like their exotic-animal books with a high snuggle rating. This entry introduces the wild canines that migrate across the grassy plains of Africa in packs of 5 to 20. First question: Cute? You betcha, and the plentiful photos feature arrowed captions to point out the adorable features (“round ears,” “long legs”). Don’t worry; a size chart, map, and plenty of stats keep things educational. Meanwhile, to Gardner’s credit, she gets real with a fairly gory photo of a wild dog hauling around its torn-up prey. It’s a small book—literally; the trim size is an easy-to-hold box—and pounces along at a nice pace on its way to the closing picture glossary.