Komodo Dragons

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4-These attractive titles offer minimal information about the physical appearance, habitat, eating habits, predators, and behavior of their respective subject animals. The easy-to-read, conversational texts, with vocabulary words set in bold, are boxed in unobtrusive grids, thus drawing the eye to the crystal-clear color photos (some of them merely decorative). The books are interesting enough to whet readers' appetites but aren't substantial enough for reports.-Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2Komodo dragons are not the "dragons" that their name implies, but instead are giant lizards that grow up to 10 feet long, weigh 250 pounds, and live in the Komodo Island area of Indonesia. They are predators, they spend a lot of time in burrows escaping the heat, and their babies are self-sufficient from the moment they hatch. They are also quite rare and in peril due to loss of habitat. All of this and a great deal more is presented in this easy-to-read book. The full-page, full-color photos dramatically illustrate the lives of these unusual creatures. However, the captions in some cases only repeat what is already stated in the text and in others do not accurately describe what the photo shows. The print is large and vocabulary easy to understand and follow. A handful of words in bold type, such as "reptiles" and "cold-blooded," are explained in a glossary. An adequate book on a subject on which little information is available for this age group.Helen Rosenberg, St. Scholastica High School, Chicago, IL