What on Earth Is a Tuatara?

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5Four slim volumes that each feature an unusual animal. Five questions are listed at the beginning of each book, asking what the creature looks like, where it lives, what it eats, how it reproduces, and how it survives. Double-page spreads go on to provide minimal answers, but there are no section headings, making the organization of the material seem random to readers who skim past the title page. Each spread is dominated by one or two full-color photographs, and while they are clear and attractive enough, occasionally the gutter slices through them at unfortunate points. There are other problems, as well: the maps are small, and although each title has a glossary, no pronunciation assistance is provided. The books' format looks young, but the vocabulary is not always simple; the bubbly typeface isn't easy to read; and the sketchy information is not likely to satisfy report writers' needs. Children would be better served by encyclopedia articles.Vanessa Elder, School Library Journal