Synopsis
Introduces the physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat of the nine-banded armadillo.
Children's Literature
In clean prose and clear close-up photographs, the nine-banded armadillo is presented for young readers. One or two sentences of text per page introduces the habitat, physical characteristics, and behavior of this digging mammal by asking a question and answering it concisely. New vocabulary (omnivore, predator, carapace, den, mammal) is italicized and defined in context, and is also rounded up in a short glossary. What makes this book especially useful for preschool and early elementary school children are the excellent close-ups, for instance, of the armadillo's sharp claws, nursing pups, and burrowing to escape predators, which invite children to talk about what they are seeing.