No Backbone! The World of Invertebrates

Who knew that having no backbone could be so fascinating and beautiful? This series presents underwater creatures in a way that makes you feel like you’re snorkeling. Photographs cover an entire two-page spread and conversation bubbles and concise, yet factual, information about the animals complete these very attractive books. There are labels and charts that further explain the pictures. The short glossary even includes pictures that go with the words that have been highlighted in the text. The Read More section lists other books that students might consult. One of the best features is the suggested Web site that allows the user to learn more about the animals in encyclopedia-like Web pages and also has an option to play a crossword game. This is a wonderful choice to use with even PreK students during an ocean unit. Recommended.

Appealing introductions. Each overview gets right to the point with simple sentences that define and describe the animals’ features. To reinforce the written definition, a splashy full-color photograph appears on the facing page. Although Lunis points out that the term “sea star” is preferred over starfish in Prickly Sea Stars, Gooey Jellyfish states that “jellyfish” is still used even though jellies are definitely not fish. All in all, these are fun and useful sources of information for young scientists and beach goers.