Editorial Review

Elementary-level learners will relish these bright, beautiful picturebooks which combine simple language with eye-catching covers, topics, and drama. Peter Murray’s Scorpions, for example, draws initial attention with a close-up cover shot of a scorpion, while inside pages use plenty of close-up shots during discussions of scorpion poison and natural history. Thane Maynard’s Komodo Dragons and Ostriches perform similar tasks, blending in facts and figures with lively surveys of animal behavior. Mary Ann McDonald’s titles cover Cobras, Grizzlies, Boas and Woodpeckers – each providing strong introductions to the different creatures and using the close-up color photo format to attract attention. Edward Maruska covers Salamanders, examining the many different colors and aspects of the salamander.