Making a Nest

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Two attractive photo essays that are ideal for browsing. Each title is almost exclusively a series of full-color pictures ranging from small insets to full-page, with large-type captions that clearly identify each photo's content. The high-quality pictures are carefully chosen and well sequenced. The captioning is concise yet rich enough to leave few questions hanging. Changing Shape features butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, fish, and others; the various stages of metamorphosis are presented in illustrations that are interesting enough to keep the pages turning. Making a Nest addresses the constructions of birds, insects, mammals, fish, and reptiles. Polar bears resting in the snow (in ``daybeds'') and gorillas lounging on giant ground nests offer a fresh perspective to the idea of nest making. The easy-to-use organizational style places each different species in its own short chapter. Although other books are available on these subjects-primarily on a higher reading level-both books serve as simple, visual introductions to their respective topics.-Valerie Lennox, Jacksonville Public Library, FL