From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-These 11 chapters about animals originally appeared in Highlights for Children. According to an author's note, they have been updated as needed. Myers delves into various mysteries-from how fireflies flash to why snakes flick their tongues to "How to fuel a hummingbird." Students will already be aware of some of these facts-cheetahs are fast, cats can land on all fours, people can communicate with chimps. However, some of these tidbits may be new-e.g., the pronghorn antelope is the fastest long-distance runner. In each chapter, the author focuses on how scientists research animals, referring frequently to experiments and studies. The tone tends toward chatty, and first-person narration is used throughout. New terms are italicized, but there is no glossary or pronunciation guide. Words like "luciferase" and "vomeronasal" are thrown out at readers without explanation, and many of the illustrations feature anthropomorphic animals. For example, a bespectacled Komodo dragon reads a book and a pronghorn wearing a tracksuit runs on hind legs. Rita Mullin's Animalogy (Crown, 1998) and Joanne Settel's Why Do Cats' Eyes Glow in the Dark? (Atheneum, 1988; o.p.) offer information on some of the same animals. Though not an essential selection, the value in Komodo Dragon is that it provides a look at how scientists do research.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Eleven animal mysteries that were the subjects of magazine pieces in ``Highlights for Children'' have been gathered and updated in this volume. Among the topics are how horses sleep, how cats survive high falls, how snakes use their tongues to smell, and how the giraffe gets blood to the brain. Myers provides background information, states the science question, and describes the ingenious ways scientists work. In some cases, the findings on one animal are generalized, e.g., by studying how the enormous, cold blooded leatherback turtle maintains body heat, scientists speculate on how the dinosaursalso thought to be cold-bloodedgrew. Some readers may feel uneasy about hummingbirds kept in restraints while their heartbeats are measured, antelopes forced to run on treadmills while wearing gas masks, and fireflies chopped up for the study of luciferinpractices that the author describes without endorsing. The text is challenging; Myers bases his writings on resources rarely available to young readers, all listed in the bibliography. For motivated science enthusiasts, much of the information will be fascinating. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
