Amazing Animals Around the World

March 1, 2023
Grades 3-5 The Around the World series (2 new titles) stands out for its pleasing aesthetic, which boasts illustrations in a modern screenprint-style and attractive assemblages of creatures that, while stylized, are still recognizable (much like Owen Davey's works). The only drawback lies in the limited color palette, which doesn't always match a characteristic being highlighted by the text (for instance, one monkey's red skin appears yellow). That quibble aside, these highly browsable volumes will lure in animal lovers with their fascinating menageries. Themed by animal type, both titles organize their information into topical, double-page spreads that highlight a specific creature or, more commonly, a habitat or characteristic linking several critters. A small paragraph or two of text provides general information on the subject at hand, while the illustrations capture an interesting array of animals, which are always labeled and often accompanied by a fun fact. Amazing Animals restricts itself primarily to the land and sky, discussing ecosystems and everything from tree dwellers (saki monkeys, Madame Berthe's mouse lemurs) to living fossils (cassowaries, gharials) to armored animals (thorny devils, echidna); this title reliably states where each creature is found. A note on conservation brings each title in this curiosity-sparking series to a close.

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