Birds

April 1, 2017
Gr 3-5-These ambitious series entries provide a general overview of the animal kingdom. Most of the information is communicated through one-sentence descriptions or definitions. Content moves from general to specific, starting with a look at taxonomy, then shifting to subtopics and individual creatures. Logical organization and creatively varied layouts help make the text accessible. A topic introduction for each spread leads into fact bites that are presented in photo captions, text boxes, and within circular frames that match the round borders of spot photographs. In some cases, images are partially obscured by the many insets and captions, creating a slightly cluttered look. With so many topics and multiple bits of data for each one, the lack of an index may frustrate kids trying to hone in on particular subjects. VERDICT Plenty of factual and visual content to engage readers, despite flaws. An additional selection.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2017
Grades K-3 Beginning with the cover of this graphic-rich visual encyclopedia, bright photographs show off a variety of birds and introduce common words (nest, egg, bill) and more academic (phylum, carrion, casque) terms. Themed two-page spreads begin with a few sentences of basic information, before devoting the rest of the space to photo montages that precisely illustrate the associated vocabulary. The age-appropriate, user-friendly definitions align with or overlap corresponding pictures. Pages are busy but not cluttered and should present no challenges for young audiences. This entry, part of the My First Animal Kingdom Encyclopedia series, includes a table of contents and suggestions for further research, but no index or source notes. This visual delight is a book to be pored over and should attract the interest of browsers, ignite curiosity for researchers, and satisfy fledgling birders.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)