Nature's Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats

Gr 2–4—This concept book compares the interdependence of the Earth's flora and fauna to the intricate structure of a quilt. Each spread features a drawing of a habitat framed by quiltlike strips featuring the various birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, plants, and insects to be found there. The full-color, earth-tone illustrations are detailed and inviting, and it's fun to search for the one person always featured in each quilt. Prairie, lake, pond, and Arctic are some of the habitats briefly described, but without a table of contents or text headings, this title is not as useful as Sally Hewitt's All Kinds of Habitats (Children's Press, 1999). Strongly conservationist in tone, the narrative introduces important environmental terms, such as "niche," "food-chain," "adaptation," and "biodiversity," which are in bold in the text and simply defined in context. Definitely a book for an adult to share and discuss with a child or a small group, and the activities at the end will deepen the learning experience of this attractive additional purchase.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA