Animal Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

by Jayne Parsons (Editor), Barbara Taylor (Author)
Key Phrases: sensitive whiskers, North America, South America, Worldwide Food (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Imagine a snake that can change its body shape to "fly" up to 164 feet between trees in the rain forest. Learn why a river that contains rat-tailed maggots and tubifex worms is in trouble. Find out how the male emperor penguin keeps its eggs warm--balanced on top of his feet! No child needs to be told that the animal kingdom is truly extraordinary. But every child will want to discover in greater detail, from A to Z, just how remarkable the critters of the world really are. Dorling Kindersley, masters of pictorial reference guides (Dorling Kindersley Children's Atlas, DK Science Encyclopedia, DK Nature Encyclopedia), bring the animal world vividly to life with their Animal Encyclopedia. Arranged alphabetically, from aardvarks to zebras, this lavishly illustrated guide investigates over 2,000 animal species, using crisp, stunning photographs, artwork, and special features. Each entry includes a fact box that provides quick reference information, such as family name for that group of animals, habitat, food, number of eggs or young, and size. A very useful scale shows a silhouette of the animal next to that of an average size adult human male, to give readers an idea of its size. The "Find Out More" box directs readers to other pages to read about a linked subject. A glossary and an index are provided, as well as an "Animal Life" section, which explains how animals behave and fit into their individual habitats. This wonderful resource for home projects or schoolwork will be an absolute favorite for every member of the family for years to come. (Ages 8 and older)

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-7-There is plenty of competition in the single-volume specialty encyclopedia market, but this volume rises to the top for its multidirectional approach and striking illustrations. Prefaced by a selection of prizewinning nature photographs by children and teenagers, the book's first quarter is taken up with a series of topical spreads on physical structures, attack and defense mechanisms, homes, habitats, and the like. An animal A-to-Z follows, introducing about 2000 individual or related species under headings of widely varying scope: "Amphibians," "Cobras," "Humans." Each one-to-three page entry in this section contains brief comments on appearances, variations, behavior, and reproduction, as well as boxed summary facts, cross-references, and a silhouetted human hand or body to show comparative size. The art, a richly informative blend of painted or photographic close-ups, action shots, and isolated portraits, is up to DK's usual standards for sharpness of detail, brilliance of color, and dramatic impact. Where else can viewers see a flamingo's distinctive skull, a (painted) cross-sectional view of a pregnant gorilla, or an owl pellet partially exploded to reveal what its maker had for dinner? The level of specific detail is relatively low, but the cross-references, along with a large index, link related information nicely, and the writing is vivid enough to hold its own against the visuals. Despite the lack of maps, charts (of, for instance, endangered species), or outside resources, this book will reward both browsers and focused inquirers and enhance any reference collection.

John Peters, New York Public Library

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: DK CHILDREN (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789464993
• ISBN-13: 978-0789464996
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #388,325 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This IS the Great Big Book of Everything, January 13, 2003

By	Michael Sullivan (Southern California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I want to second a previous review that said this encyclopedia makes a good Great Big Book of Everything for fans of "Stanley". I designed a new cover for it, put a sticker of Stanley and Dennis on it, added letter tabs and my son couldn't be happier. It was the only thing he wanted for Christmas and he was not disappointed. The high point came when my siblings thought that it was nice that the "Stanley" people made this book. Lots of animals and great pictures. Sometimes my children and I pick out an animal and I use that as their bedtime story. 5 stars all the way.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My 6 and 3 year olds love this!, April 12, 2002

By A Customer

I went searching for an animal encyclopedia after my 6-year old became insistent on having her own "Great Big Book of Everything" that is depicted in the Disney Channel's show "Stanley". (if you have youngsters, you've heard of this, I'm sure) This book has satisfied the void! The pictures are great, animals are listed alphabetically, and it answers lots of questions. We're very happy with it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific, colorful reference book, March 14, 2002

By A Customer

I find that my four year old son and I reach for this book several times a week minimum. Whenever he has a question about animals (this morning's was "What do bugs eat?") we turn to this book and can always find an answer. I especially like that it has an excellent index, colorful pictures and each info page on an animal lists other related pages for further information. It packs an astonishing amount of information into one volume, all in a very accessible format. While it is not geared towards preschoolers it is easy for a parent to interpret for that age group and has lots of pictures for them to look at. Great resource for all those "why" questions.