Feet

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-Clear, cut-out photographs of animals set on brightly colored, vibrant backgrounds and a single large-type sentence offer information about each one's feet and hair. Bold words are used for emphasis. Spreads at the back of the books give more facts, including where the creature lives, what it eats, etc. Children who are interested in more specific terminology will not find it here, and the books can be confusing. For example, paws, flippers, and claws are included as examples of feet but there's no distinction or explanation of the differences. Likewise, Hair introduces hair, fur, and feathers, with the same problem. Photographs of ducks are captioned, "Some hair keeps out water," but there is no further discussion of feathers. The attractive, colorful photographs of animals in interesting positions or close-up views are the books' only strength.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.