Becoming a Fish

February 15, 2019
Grades K-2 How do you feel about enlarged pictures of insects at various stages of development? That will largely determine how you feel about these new books in the Changing Animals series (6 new titles). Each book details four to six stages in the creature's development in a clear and simple manner, using basic scientific terms. The different stages are presented over a series of double-page spreads dominated by large photos of the animals, with a few lines of text appearing against a swath of white. With only a few exceptions, the photos show highly magnified close-ups of the subject. Despite the potential ick factor, many young readers will be fascinated. Although Becoming a Fish, which specifically focuses on the northern pike, uses startlingly large close-ups of the eggs and fry, the older fish are big enough not to require extra magnification. These series entries offer a uniquely close look at various insect and fish life cycles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)