Gecko

March 1, 2019

K-Gr 3-This title will amaze and engage readers as they learn everything there is to know about geckos. Each spread has an illustration, a line about what the gecko is doing, and in a different font, informational text about geckos. Our gecko travels through his world, eating and making sure he doesn't get eaten by one of his many predators. This is essentially one day in the life of a gecko. The gecko keeps itself clean, hunts for food, watches out for predators, sheds its skin-which it then eats-and loses its tail while escaping from a rat. The engaging narrative is simple blocks of text with an occasional large type exclamation: "Crunch!" such as when the gecko bites a cockroach. Back matter includes a short "More about Geckos" and an index that highlights both the fiction and nonfiction within the text. The illustrations are bright and colorful and bring geckos to life. Readers can often sense the quick movements of this animal through the illustrations. The blue gecko with orange spots stands out in lush greenery done in colored pencil, acrylic ink, and watercolor. This is a book that can be shared with readers of many age levels. A younger reader might enjoy the story line while a slightly older reader will be captivated by the information. From the cover with gecko "climbing" through the title "Gecko" until the end when gecko loses his tail to the rat but eats the predator's leftovers, a thoughtful, colorful, and informative title. VERDICT A must-have for younger nonfiction shelves.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City

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