American Mastodon

Children's Literature

Simple text and illustrations present the life of American mastodon, a shaggy mammal with curved tusks, including how they looked and information on their behavior. This book is for early readers interested in these prehistoric mammals or for a child who has an assignment on this topic. The text is spaced out for the young child's eyes and has the look of "you do not have to hurry through." The words may be difficult for the child who has not mastered word attack skills and for the child who has not had instruction in what they will be reading and learning. The book will be perfect for the child who has had these things. It is a big, colorful book that lies flat and gives the reader space to follow along with his fingers. The glossary in the back helps the child and/or the adult to explain words and answer questions. Back matter includes "Read More," listing other books of interest; Internet sites and more resources through www.FactHound.com; and an index. The last page lists the word count, the grade level, and the early intervention level. This book is a "Pebble Plus Big Books for Beginning Readers." Other books in the "Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals" series are listed on the back cover. 2006, Capstone Press, Ages 5 to 8.
—Naomi Butler