"For animal lovers and aspiring environmentalists, this graphics-rich series provides introductory materials for animals and ecosystems across the globe. Buoyant, easy-to-follow charts and diagrams outline, in broad strokes, each creature's general form, life cycle, habitat, and food chain, and provide an overview of some basic statistics. Kangaroos explains that, though there are many subspecies of this marsupial, all have evolved to live in a dry climate and raise their young from a pouch. Even though the stars of Orangutans share 97 percent of their DNA with humans, people remain their greatest threat to survival; this book highlights our similarities and differences with the great apes. Owls showcases the evolutionary adaptations that make this bird of prey an amazing hunter and allow it to live all over the world. Red-Eyed Tree Frogs investigates how this little frog uses its most striking feature—you guessed it, those red eyes—to protect itself from predators. Some of the illustrations, especially in the books featuring animals with many subspecies (Kangaroos, Owls), could have benefited from clearer labeling, but the dynamic photographs will attract many viewers. In each volume, an ending chapter also expounds upon human interactions with each animal—both the threats they face because of us and any conservation efforts made to protect them. The Wild Animal Kingdom series offers an engaging introduction to STEM research. —Maggie Reagan"
"These informative new books in the Wild Animal Kingdom series give a good overview of basic facts about several fairly exotic animals. Each book follows the same general pattern. First, it tells the story of "A Day in the Life" of its animal. It continues with the animal's diet and habitat in the section "Food to Eat and a Place to Live." "Family Life" then covers reproduction and the animal's life as an individual or in a group. The final section, "Predators and Other Threats," identifies the creature's place in the food chain as well as the threats it faces from humans, often from hunting or habitat loss, and conservation efforts. Appropriate photos, sometimes accompanied by fact-filled captions, add interest to the text. Maps and diagrams, including a food chain, a size chart, and a "By the Numbers" spread in each book, provide additional information. For example, African Elephant reveals that a pachyderm's trunk alone weighs from 300 to 350 pounds. Readers of Bats will learn that a brown bat's heart beats 1,000 times per minute when the creature is in flight. The subjects of Ring-Tailed Lemurs get their name from the black bands on their tails—about 13 rings per lemur. Sloths' famously lethargic mammals sleep from 15 to 18 hours per day. Young readers will appreciate the varied animal facts these books offer. —Miriam Aronin"
"This brightly designed nature series will draw the attention of young researchers with its dramatic, close-up photography. Each title covers four broad topic areas: "A Day in the Life," "Food to Eat and a Place to Live," "Family Life," and "Predators and Other Threats." Text is spare but includes intriguing details, such as the fact that red-eyed tree frogs have a third eyelid that they can see through, that a gray kangaroo can leap 30 feet in a single hop, or that orangutans chew a special leaf into a foam that they spread on sore arms and legs. Each title also includes graphs, a spread showing animal features, a map of the creature's range, a pictorial food chain, and a spread of intriguing statistics. Occasionally, the text will mention something that begs for an attending picture, such as how red-eyed tree frog hatchlings drop into water from the leaves that held their eggs. The animal feature pages simply label body parts and could be improved with explanations for how those features help the animal to survive. However, these are small criticisms of an otherwise highly attractive and informative series for young nature-lovers. Additional Resources. Glossary. Index. Jan Aldrich Solow, Retired School Librarian, Kingston, New York Highly Recommended"
"In this bright and colorful series, readers will learn facts about wild animals. Each book is organized the same way, providing information about what the animal eats, where it lives, and which animals are predators. The text is full of facts and is interesting to read. There is a clear Table of Contents, Glossary, and Index as well as bold words (that are defined in the Glossary at the end of the book), maps, and photographs with labels — making this an excellent series to teach text features as well as share facts about wild animals. At the end of each book is a list of resources (books and websites) for more information. Recommended"
"This entry in the Wild Animal Kingdom series, part of the Bolt line of high/low books, cozies up to the red fox. The interestingly written narrative begins with a "day in the life" of this creature, which boasts an arresting photo of a fox mid-pounce. Next, readers learn that red foxes inhabit nearly the entire northern hemisphere, rural and urban areas alike, and maintain an omnivorous diet. The remaining two chapters feature descriptive facts about family units, the red fox's contributions to ecosystems, and its predators, humans chief among them. Throughout, numerous color photos and infographics appear, including a size chart, a pictorial food chain, and a "By the Numbers" spread of vulpine facts. A useful research book for reluctant readers or kids with a keen interest in animals that share their world."
