Editorial Review

In this title, part of the Life Cycles series, Owens accurately points out that every living thing has a life cycle. And the life cycle of a snail is divided as follows: egg, hatchling, and adult. With big, clear full-page photos (one per spread) as well as straightforward text, readers can follow along on the slimy journey from egg to snail. The design here is spare, and potentially unfamiliar words—radula, hibernate—are highlighted and defined in a glossary. One feature of the book is particularly child-friendly: each photo illustrates a line or two of text (‘Water snails live in either freshwater or saltwater’), which is superimposed on the image, and coordinates nicely with the main text. The final spread offers up a life- cycle diagram, particularly helpful for visual learners. While the headings in the book don’t divide as naturally as they might, this title offers up beautiful photos and a text simple enough for young gastropod lovers.