Uncommon Animals

Most elementary students will find this series intriguing. A wealth of precise and detailed information is presented in a pleasing layout. Each section is well-defined and entitled to entice the reader. Important vocabulary words are highlighted. Geographic locations of each fascinating animal are well-depicted and illustrated. The photographs are captivating as well as informative. Featured on many pages are inserts with interesting facts either about the animal or the humans studying them. Education efforts and other methods to save these animals are discussed. Included is a read more section and a learn more online section. This series contains the type of books that never stay on the shelves because they are irresistible to our young patrons. Students, teachers, and media specialists will love this series. Recommended.

Just when you thought every animal had been covered comes a series with volumes on the aye-aye, fossa, and Weddell seal. The explanatory text works splendidly, with large photographs that bring readers as close as they’ll ever get to such beasts.

Readers follow the work of scientists who study the unique features and challenges of animals living in remote habitats….firsthand accounts create a narrative feel while still weaving in facts about the animals and their environments. Large photos, mostly clear captions, and short sidebars enhance the texts. End-of-book animal facts add interest.

These examinations of six photogenic animals and selected specialists who study them offer the current crop’s best balance of appealing presentation and systematic, clearly presented information. Each creature inhabits an exotic habitat, from the arctic fox that “lives farther north than any other land mammal in the world” and the Weddell Seal to Madagascar’s aye-aye and fossa. The aye-aye is a lemur so rare that it was mistakenly declared extinct in the 1930s, and the elusive fossa is a lemur-eating mongoose and the island’s largest native predator. Readers will linger over the excellent pictures and come away with a better understanding of the creatures and of some of the challenges facing scientists who seek to learn more about them.