Lizards

Children's Literature

This entry in the "Wild Wild World" series contains an animal overview, interesting facts subcategorized by headings of double-page spreads (e.g., "Incredible Climbers," "Hatchlings on Their Own," and "The Amazing Variety of Lizards") and numerous vivid close-ups arranged artistically or sequentially to illustrate a concept. Photographs, most appearing to be taken in the wild, lack captions and surround and face the short paragraphs of text that appear on each page. While a child does not to have to read much text or go far to discover what the photographs portray, by not using captions the series misses the chance to educate children as to how to "read" the photos more deeply or to confirm what we think is being pictured. A skimpy four-word glossary and no index make this an additional purchase for most libraries, or one to read as an introduction to the topic, since the good pictures might lead to research in other more completely realized texts. 2003, Blackbirch Press/Gale Group, Ages 7 to 11.
—Susan Hepler, Ph.D.