Animals That Fly

Cute photos serve as an appealing backdrop for this series aimed at new readers. Six spreads ask a repeated question (“What can dig?”), with the answer provided below (“A mole can dig”). The simple words are set against an engaging photograph of the featured animal demonstrating the action in its natural setting. The strict pattern and repetition within the text makes the series accessible to beginning readers. Most animal names are easy to read, and the obvious visual cues will help with the others. The creatures included are familiar, well varied, and occasionally unexpected, as in the case of a running lizard and a swimming bear. The final spread turns a question over to readers (“Can you run?”), accompanied by a photo of a child in action and an enthusiastic “Yes you can!” VERDICT: Just right for beginning readers who love animals.

The Animals on the Move! series (6 titles) is part of Bearcubs Books, a new imprint dedicated to supporting early literacy skills. This book uses a repetitive Q&A format to support new readers and show off some of the sky’s frequent fliers. A large, vividly colored photo spans each double-page spread, asking “What can fly?” on the left page. The response always appears on the bottom of the right: “A [animal name] can fly.” Even if kids can’t yet read everything, the photo will give the context clues they need. A bee, duck, bat, dragonfly, eagle, and butterfly all wing across the book’s pages, and appended teaching tips offer suggestions to instructors or caregivers for before, during, and after reading to help little ones better hone their literacy skills.