Lions

October 1, 2012

Gr 3-5-Each book describes the physical characteristics, habitat, diet, predators, and prey of the featured cat, and the effect it has on the environment. The books also discuss the animals' approximate populations or nearness to extinction. The pages are well balanced with excellent photos, text, factual asides, maps, and the definitions of boldface words. The photographs were taken in the wild in the cats' natural habitat and include kills and skins. Similarities and differences among the types of cats are evident if children read more than one book in the series. Laws, poaching, illegal trafficking, and endangerment are discussed. In Mongolia there is a program for the protection of the snow leopards; it provides money to families who promise not to kill them. The money is generated from the sale of goods such as mittens, scarves, and yarn made by the families and sold for them in the United States. Perfect choices for reports.-Cynde Suite, Bartow County Library System, Adairsville, GA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2016

Gr 3-5-Although some general species information is provided, the strength of this series is its strong focus on the predatory features of each animal. Hunting techniques, physical assets, and feeding behaviors are introduced with direct, concise language. A few specific details, such as size and speed, are woven into the text, while frequent fact boxes add other intriguing bits of content, such as an impressive comparison of the black piranha's bite to that of an alligator. Photographs capture the predators in action with well-varied selections, including several with appropriate amounts of blood. Hunting practices described in the text are often accompanied by effective pictures depicting the features. Species varieties are sometimes, but not always, identified in photo captions. VERDICT Useful and likely to be popular entries in a continually strong series.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.