Clown Fish

 Part of a 16-item series called “Library of Awesome Animals,” this title is attractive, colorful, and just the right length for readers in 1st-3rd grades. Pages are laid out n a clear, mostly uncluttered way. The text eventually gets to promised topics, though sometimes on the following pages. For example, on page 10, readers are told that “clown fish and sea anemones have a great friendship.”
The following two sentences are about how clown fish benefit from the relationship. Since each page seems like a separate topic, this one being “Best Buddies,” the reader may think that the benefits for the sea anemone have been forgotten. But they are addressed on the following page under “Two-Way Street.” Since each page serves as a pseudo-chapter, this may confuse some readers. 

Playful chapter titles and occasional interjections like “yikes” and wow!" create a lighthearted feel in these animal profiles, but there’s also plenty of useful, well-organized information. The tone achieves a good balance between enthusiastic (“Elephants are eating machines”) and factual (“They eat for an average of 16 hours every day”) (Elephants). Physical features, behavior, and life cycles are described in the main text. Interesting tidbits about the animal’s more unique characteristics, such as the albatross’s ability to sleep while flying (Albatross) usually appear in photo captions or separate insets. Full-page photographs highlight different behaviors, with occasional close-ups showing specific unusual features noted in the text, such as the mandrill’s yawn (Mandrill). Threats to the animals’ survival are briefly noted where relevant. A closing “Information Station” page includes a range map, a comparative size diagram, and a bit about animal classification. VERDICT: Well-rounded overviews with a light touch that might draw more reluctant readers.

Playful chapter titles and occasional interjections like “yikes” and “wow!” create a lighthearted feel in these animal profiles, but there’s also plenty of useful, well-organized information. The tone achieves a good balance between enthusiastic (“Elephants are eating machines”) and factual (“They eat for an average of 16 hours every day”) (Elephants). Physical features, behavior, and life cycles are described in the main text. Interesting tidbits about the animal’s more unique characteristics, such as the albatross’s ability to sleep while flying (Albatross) usually appear in photo captions or separate insets. Full-page photographs highlight different behaviors, with occasional close-ups showing specific unusual features noted in the text, such as the mandrill’s yawn (Mandrill). Threats to the animals’ survival are briefly noted where relevant. A closing “Information Station” page includes a range map, a comparative size diagram, and a bit about animal classification.

VERDICT Well-rounded overviews with a light touch that might draw more reluctant learners.