Editorial Review

A noteworthy review of Naturebooks from School Library Journal on December 1, 2003

Cover: Beetles

These glossy introductions give children a firm grasp of the basics. Each one describes its subject’s major physical and behavioral characteristics, natural habitats, life cycle, diets, enemies, defense mechanisms, and potential danger to humans. In addition, Merrick discusses the chief differences between centipedes and their close relatives, millipedes; Murray mentions distinctive characteristics of about a dozen particular kinds of beetles. In each title, most pages of text alternate with large, sharp, color close-up photographs of the creatures discussed. Invertebrates depicted are identified by common names in captions. All three books have large, easy-to-read print. The texts are succinctly written and well organized but the highlight of each volume is the photography. Printed on glossy paper, these well-composed illustrations imbue the exoskeletons of most of the invertebrates featured with a soft luster; even the cockroaches have a kind of glamour in the way they are depicted. With their crisp texts and eye-catching photography, these books will appeal to both browsers and the students writing reports.

—Karey Wehner

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