From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-These series titles provide essential information about the physical characteristics and life cycle of these animals. The text on one side faces a full-page illustration, usually a photo. One helpful feature is a half-page "Quick Facts" summary, which includes a visual comparison of the adult animal with a human and a number of vehicles. These charts make the immense size of the whales strikingly clear. The lists of suggested books, videos, and Web sites are marred by errors, such as listing Theodore Taylor's novel, The Hostage, as nonfiction and including a book about a marine biologist simply because her boat is called Orca. More puzzling are the suggested Internet search terms, which sometimes include words not mentioned in the book itself. Rather than opting to purchase the entire set, librarians should see what topics are already covered in their collections. Some species, such as orcas, have had quite a number of books written about them. Nicola Davies's Big Blue Whale (Candlewick, 1997) presents information in a way that avoids the formulaic series approach and look. Still, Gentle and Perry's titles can be helpful for collections in which additional resources are needed to fill gaps.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
