Reviews

If your backyard is populated with as many creatures as there are volumes in the Backyard Wildlife series, it’s time to put the house on the market. Taken in smaller doses, though, these…

A Christmas Eve performance of The Nutcracker ballet runs amok with multiple mishaps but is saved in the nick of time by the arrival on set of Santa Claus and his elves. The familiar rhyme…

This retelling of an Ojibwe legend successfully illustrates a moral and explains an important natural concept, while still being an enjoyable read. The story tells how Beaver once had a…

In these basic overviews, the authors describe each activity in a way that both avid adventurers or novices will appreciate. The texts read smoothly, explaining each sport and the methods…

Critical Annotation: Elementary students who enjoy animal books will like this short non-fiction title on bear attacks. Written in easy-to-understand language, students are presented with…

The rhythmic poetry of this selection will have children asking for more as they learn about the sleeping habits of various North American animals, including eagles, moles, moose, alligators,

Beginning with mother and newborn, Wendorff’s simple texts disclose what the young eat and what they can do as they grow. The cub and fawn are playful, whereas the eaglet is careful not to…

Frog and his animal pals celebrate the winter holidays in this latest in Bunting’s early-reader series. In the Thanksgiving story, Frog and his regular crew of friends invite a host of…

Though its use of the term backyard is pretty broad, the Backyard Wildlife series is a solid, if subdued, introduction to the kinds of animals that could never be described as exotic or…