Heads

School Library Journal

Gr 2-5Heads explores the functions of the senses in a variety of animals, and discusses how these senses ensure survival. Beginning with the hawk's sharp eyes, the Goors move to the use of ears, noses, and mouths to hear danger, find food, or fulfill other necessary roles. Finally the entire head of several animals is examined to show how the senses are interdependent. Animals selected range from the familiar, such as the lion and the frog, to the exotic, such as the fennec and the potto, but all of the facts presented are the sort that children love to accumulate: what lions are really doing when they yawn, why flamingos have fringes around their beaks, and which animals can bite a crocodile in two. A few grammatical flubs mar a generally well-done text. Black-and-white photos on every page substantiate the information in the text, but they're not always crisp, and occasional graininess diminishes clarity. Some sets of photos are unlabeled but identified at the end, which should serve as a challenging guessing game. Leda Schubert, Vermont Department of Education, Montpelier