Extreme Senses

December 1, 2012
Grades 1-3 While other volumes in the Sensing Their Prey series deal with familiar senses, this book describes a few novel ones. Beginning with echolocation, the text explains how bats bounce sound waves off the objects around them, then moves on to the Texas blind salamander, which uses water pressure waves in a similar way. Vampire bats sense body heat, while the star-nosed mole and the stingray use electrical sensors to locate potential prey. Though the writing is generally clear, occasionally more information is needed to clarify a statement, and at one point, it would be useful to connect the term sonar with the previously explained echolocation. A large horizontal illustration appears on each double-page spread, accompanied by a text box carrying several short sentences. Using color with subtlety, Wald's soft-edged, simplified illustrations and diagrams help readers visualize the creatures and processes described. While many books look at the use of camouflage by potential prey, relatively few consider the special adaptations of animals as predators.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)