On the Move

January 15, 2013
Animal migrations offer an opportunity to see hundreds or thousands of the same species gathered in one place. Spread by spread, in short paragraphs of straightforward exposition set on illustrations showing the animals in their habitats, Cohn describes when, where and why a sampling of North American mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, amphibians and even invertebrates come together and move. Some migrations are familiar--monarch butterflies and sandhill cranes--and others may be surprising in this context, like the nightly movement of bats from a cave or the gathering of snakes in their winter dens. Species linked on the food chain may be described together: the horseshoe crabs and red knots who feed on their eggs; salmon and bald eagles. The author makes an effort to enliven these descriptions with interesting verbs. Salamanders "squiggle across fields." Chimney swifts "chitter and chatter." But sometimes word choice trumps facts. Because horseshoe crabs aren't really crabs, they don't "scuttle out of the bay." They crawl, very slowly. Combined with the extra facts in the backmatter curiously labeled as "For Creative Minds," these informational bits may help young learners broaden their understanding of animal migration, but they won't deepen it. For that, teachers will want to turn to titles about specific species or the Seymour Simon and Elsa Warnick series that includes They Swim the Seas (1998). An additional resource only. (Nonfiction. 5-9)

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August 1, 2013

K-Gr 3-Cohn uses captivating, easy-to-understand language to explore animal migration. Each entry introduces a different animal's habitat and eating, hibernating, and breeding behaviors. Children will enjoy the passages on well-known creatures, such as snakes and salamanders, in addition to those on the lesser-known chimney swifts. The section on salamanders is reminiscent of Sarah Marwil Lamstein's Big Night for Salamanders (Boyds Mills, 2010). Detwiler's vibrant, full-page illustrations bring Cohn's text to life, placing kids in the center of each environment. Written in clear, lively prose, Nature Recycles is an ideal book to introduce recycling. By showcasing the various methods animals use to repurpose materials in their natural habitats, Lord provides examples of recycling that will inspire youngsters to creatively reuse their own objects. For example, readers learn that poison dart frogs reuse bromeliad plant leaves and nut pods from the rainforest as cradles for their young. Morrison's full-page illustrations are bright and appealing, with accurate depictions of the ingenious ways creatures use found materials. Back matter offers downloadable activities, questions, trivia, and lists of facts. Wonderful additions to public or school libraries.-Anne Barreca, New York Public Library

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