Books in Wild Wild World series

Grade 3-5-These three titles are graced with eye-catching, full-color photos and illustrations. All three have Fun Fact sidebars interspersed throughout and lists of numerous Internet sites for further reference, but no further-reading recommendations. Clear texts provide information on physiology, life cycles, diet and hunting techniques, as well as habitats and family life. Vultures offers data on a global variety of species, while Falcons and Owls concentrate on the species found in North America. Falcons is more detailed than Deborah Kops's Falcons (Gale, 2000), while Vultures is similar to Mark J. Rauzon's Vultures (Watts, 1997). Owls is far less informative than Helen Roney Sattler's rich The Book of North American Owls (Clarion, 1995).-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY―School Library Journal

This is our fourth title in our highly-praised Our Wild World: Ecosystems series. Once again, author/ photographer Wayne Lynch takes readers on a personal journey through a treasured North American ecosystem. Amazing photography, first-person anecdotes, and tons of factual information on the animals, plants, climate and landscape come together to give a complete picture of the ecosystem in action. Subjects cover the wide diversity of living things in this habitat from strangler fig trees and bromeliad plants to armadillos and dozens of water birds. And of course gators! These gorgeous books are a feast for both the eyes and mind.

Animals facing threats from human encroachment are featured in these offerings from the Our Wild World series. Prairie Dogs looks at critters considered a keystone species by scientists, linked to the survival of about 40 other species. Horse-lovers will gravitate to the doe-eyed bays on the cover of Wild Horses, which introduces readers to the scattered herds of mustangs still roaming the U.S. Both books spend a great deal of time on these animals' fascinating social systems, from the bands of mares led by a single stallion to prairie dog towns subdivided into coteries. The prose is consistently clear and lively, although Lorbiecki's breathless marveling at prairie dogs' language of chirks, yips, and other vocalizations may lead children to anthropomorphize more than is warranted.

Meet the funky mammals that like to Move it! Readers will follow the active life of a baby ring-tailed lemur and her family in this playful first-person narrative. The innovative style of this scientific text invites readers to have fun as they learn. A thorough collection of fun facts will satiate readers curiosity about this popular topic, and a fun quiz lets readers gauge their reading comprehension. Vibrant, realistic illustrations illuminate the text and bring these wacky creatures to life. This entertaining volume encourages critical thinking and introduces core science curriculum topics like habitat, adaptation, and classifying animals in a fresh way.