Arctic Fox

November 1, 2008
Gr 2-4-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.

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2008
Grades 1-3 While there is certainly no shortage of books about animals for young readers, the Uncommon Animals series manages to profile some fairly undercovered critters. In this case, the focus is on an animal that children are highly unlikely to ever encounter due to the fact that it lives farther north than any other land mammal. Easily readable sections detail the bitter natural habitat of the arctic fox and highlight the ways in which the animal is uniquely outfitted to survive such harsh conditions. The text works splendidly with the large, clear photographs on each page that will delight readersthe fox is an irresistibly cute animalas well as educate them. For instance, the foxs fur, which changes from brown and gray in the summer to shocking white in the winter, is a fascinating example of natural camouflage. The author is also careful to discuss how climate change could spell trouble for the animals future and shows its placesomewhere between lemming and polar bearin the food chain. Back matter includes a glossary, thin bibliography, and suggestions for further reading.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)