________________ CM . . . . Volume VII Number 18 . . . . May 11, 2001

The Science of Living Things.

St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree Publishing, 2000.
32 pp., pbk. & cl., $7.16 (pbk.), $18.36 (cl.).

Grades 2 - 5 / Ages 7 - 10.
Review by Gillian Noonan.

 

cover

How Do Animals Adapt?

Bobbie Kalman.
ISBN 0-86505-957-8 (pbk.), ISBN 0-86505-980-2 (cl.).

Subject Heading:
Animals-Adaptation-Juvenile literature.

**** /4

  cover

How Do Animals Move?

Niki Walker and Bobbie Kalman.
ISBN 0-86505-958-6 (pbk.), ISBN 0-86505-981-0 (cl.).

Subject Heading:
Animal locomotion-Juvenile literature.

**** /4

excerpt: (from How Do Animals Move?)

Many animals scurry up tree trunks to escape enemies or find food. Some live in the treetops. Many of these animals are not only expert climbers, but they also have found interesting ways to get from tree to tree.
How Do Animals Adapt? and How Do Animals Move? are comprehensive explorations of animal adaptations and movement for young readers. Both are part of a 21 book series, "The Science of Living Things."

      In How Do Animals Adapt? readers learn how animals adapt to survive with respect not only to climate, darkness, food, defenses and camouflage but also to offspring, people and mimicry. These adaptations are well explained in double page spreads with examples clearly depicted in photographs and diagrams and developed through their accompanying captions.

      As the title suggests, movement is the focus of How Do Animals Move?. Beginning with a description of the anatomy of movement, the reader is exposed to the many different ways of animal movement in the air, on land, under ground and in the water. Several unconventional variations (e.g. looping of inchworms, the rectilinear motion of snakes) are included. Once again, the photographs and diagrams plainly support the double page spread discussions of animal movement.

      The language of both titles is simple enough for young readers without talking down to them. In both books, terminology is featured in boldface. Some of these words are explained in the basic glossary while the majority are explained succinctly in the text. Many of these terms provide readers with some fascinating, uncommon words (e.g. brachiation, potassium, skein, and estimate). As do many of Kalman's books, both of these titles have a table of contents, glossary and index which are all sufficient to introduce young readers to the nature of these tools.

      Both titles would make excellent additions to any science collection for young readers.

Highly Recommended.

Gillian Martin Noonan is a teacher living in Old Perlican, NF.

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

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 11, 2001.

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