Welcome to the World of Wild Horses. Diane Swanson. North Vancouver, BC: Whitecap Books, 2002. 28 pp., pbk., $6.95. ISBN 978-1-55285-320-9. Subject Heading: Wild Horses-North America-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Janice Foster. *** /4
	Welcome to the World of Moose. Diane Swanson. North Vancouver, BC: Walrus Books/Whitecap Books, 1996. 28 pp., pbk., $6.95. ISBN 978-1-55110-854-2. Subject Heading: Moose-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-6 / Ages 7-11. Review by Janice Foster. *** /4

excerpt:

Most of the wild horses in North America now descended from tame animals that arrived with Spanish explorers about 500 years ago.

Unlike tame horses on ranches or farms, wild horses can have trouble finding shelter from extreme weather. (From Welcome to the World of Wild Horses.)


There's no doubt about it: moose are massive. They're the giants in a family that include elk, caribou and deer.

Although a moose is huge, it looks funny - not frightful. (From Welcome to the World of Moose.)

Welcome to the World of Wild Horses and Welcome to the World of Moose are two of more than twenty titles in the "Welcome to the World of..." series by Diane Swanson. This popular series invites children to explore wildlife through factual information written in a style that provides engaging descriptions, fascinating facts and coloured photographs. Young readers and researchers in grades two through six will find both books equally appealing. The excellent, well-captioned photography captures a wealth of information about the topics discussed in the text. The text is generally easy to read and is written in a style that will hold children's interest.

      Sentences, such as "Foals born on Sable Island off Canada's east coast can thank children for their home" from Welcome to the World of Wild Horses and "A male moose, called a bull, can weigh up to 800 kilograms (1760 pounds). He can grow so tall his shoulders stand higher than a doorway" from Welcome to the World of Moose, illustrate how the author cleverly grabs the reader's attention and how she crafts the information to match the level of understanding of young readers.

      The two books share a common format. The table of contents lists seven similarly named chapters and an index. Every even-numbered page contains either a full or half-page coloured photograph. Each chapter also contains a side text box with some unusual information, written in bold font, under catchy headings such as "Smell to Tell" and "Moose on the Loose." Chapters are four pages in length and provide information on the animal, itself, its location and habitat, food, form of communication, babies and the young. The brevity and format of these books make them accessible to children with a wide range of reading levels. These features may also serve as a springboard for stimulating further interest and research into these animals.

      With Welcome to the World of Wild Horses and Welcome to the World of Moose, Diane Swanson highlights two more fascinating animals and provides an exciting nonfiction reading experience for young readers.

Recommended.

Janice Foster is a recently retired teacher and teacher librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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