Elephant

Gr 1–3 -With two or three sentences per page and a focus on physical characteristics over behavior, these small trimmed books introduce notably large animals. Section headings are either questions or exclamations that lead into simple factual responses. The information is appropriately brief for the intended young readers and effectively supported by visual examples. We learn just the basics about a giraffe's spots, tongue, and knobs, for example, but each photograph neatly highlights each feature. A useful opening drawing shows the animal's size compared to a human. Closing true-or-false quizzes are less exciting but could work as simple review strategies for teachers or parents. The concise, selective presentation of facts works well for the most part. It's less successful in the "Are You in Danger?" section that concludes three of the titles, however, which presents abrupt, bleak answers, with no context or information about conservation efforts provided.