Gr 4-6 Each volume begins with an exciting, true-life story of humans encountering these creatures in unexpected places. The books continue with too-brief sections describing life cycle, diet, natural habitat, and natural predators, and then focus on how each animal has moved to a new habitat (thanks to humans) and turned into an invasive species there. The clear but slightly dry narratives are surrounded by ample white space, and each page features large, sharp, color photographs of creatures or their habitats. Some of the photos (such as one of a sunset on an Australian beach in “Spotted Jellyfish”) are extraneous. Inset boxes with captions such as “21st Century Content” and “Life and Career Skills” discuss recent developments (including scientists’ new, more accurate term for jellyfishsea jellies) and related careers, and are intended to further classroom discussion. These books will be good jumping-off points for research, but children will need more in-depth materials in order to really learn about the animals. Denise Schmidt, San Francisco Public Library, CA Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc..
