Maintaining a high-quality collection of animal books requires a variety of resources. Purchasing multiple books on popular animals makes sense. Finding even a single title on an unusual creature, like a lamprey or an assassin bug, can be a success. Students often request information on broader topics, such as ecosystems or animal predation. For some readers, the gruesome side of animal life can be a draw, while others just want to learn all they can about a single species. The series below include examples of all of the above. Many sets merit purchase, but, not surprisingly, some are more worthy than others. The best offerings feature strong combinations of textual and visual appeal, well-organized content that leads readers to build and synthesize knowledge, and topical coverage that matches the sensibilities of report writers or browsers, or, even better, both.

Elementary

Gr 3-5 –Each title opens with a general introduction to raptors, then examines the specific qualities of each group. Logically organized text moves from physical qualities, such as talons and eyesight, to the behaviors that they enhance, like hunting. Varieties of species and locations within a group are noted. Transitions from the general group to one or two species, such as the bald eagle and golden eagle, are handled with clarity and focus. Coverage includes flight, hunting, habitats, and babies, though rarely with much depth. The use of air currents in flight, for example, is mentioned but not explored, and migration is not mentioned at all—many raptors don’t migrate, but some do, especially hawks. Full-page photographs are a good mixture of birds flying, hunting, and feeding, and still body views. They depict a variety of species, about half of which are identified. Some photos highlight body features such as talons or beaks, though usually not with close-up views. VERDICT Solid introductions to popular birds.

K-Gr 2 –With one or two sentences per page, these titles provide first introductions to tiny but interesting creatures. Most of the text covers body features and general behaviors, with just the most basic level of information. Close-up photographs support the words effectively. The black widow’s fangs and a slug eating a leaf are among several eye-catching excellent examples; biting ticks are less appealing but equally useful. Sentence structure and most vocabulary are aimed at new readers. Bolded words refer to the glossary at the end, although in some cases the captioned image offers sufficient visual context. Readers won’t find much detail or depth, but there are just enough facts to engage curiosity, along with attractive visuals and readability levels that are on target for new readers. VERDICT Fairly high appeal at a basic level just right for early elementary readers.

Gr 3-5 –Shark books are often in demand, and this set covers the basics fairly well. Each spread features a full-page photograph opposite a couple paragraphs of text on a general topic. Physical features, including identification tips, are followed by geographic range, hunting, birth, potential danger to humans, and conservation status. A concluding “Shark Bites” page offers five or six further interesting facts. The writing is crisp and informative, capturing a bit of the excitement of the fish without overdoing it. Photographs are serviceable, showing some variety of activity, a bit of visual comparison to other sharks, and one labeled view of key body parts. Close-ups of physiological features such as teeth are scarce, and most lack scenes of sharks hunting or capturing prey. Range maps are provided for the species with defined areas. VERDICT Solid but not stellar introductions to a high-interest topic.

Gr 2-4 –Each title profiles a dozen or so related dinosaurs with a list of facts and full-page digital illustrations. A corner fact box lists basic data, including pronunciation and meaning of names, time period, size, diet, and key physical features. Assorted fact boxes scattered within each spread offer additional information related to fossil discoveries, physical characteristics, and species behavior. Though the dinosaurs in each book are related, group names, such as theropods and sauropods, are not introduced. Also missing are size scales to help readers visually distinguish among dinosaurs that look very similar. The digital images are clear and engaging, though not especially varied. With a few exceptions, most visuals are large full-body views, with only a few close-ups focusing on specific features or of the dinosaur interactingwith other species. VERDICT Serviceable but unexceptional dinosaur species introductions.

Gr 3-6 –Strong visual content and straightforward facts capture the particular appeal of animals that feed on blood. Most of the writing focuses on the blood behaviors, with details about life cycles and physical characteristics woven in fairly smoothly with broader bits of information, such as the sea lamprey’s impact on freshwater fish populations. Full-page photographs offer a good variety of gruesome appeal, from vivid close-ups of a sea lamprey’s teeth to vampire bats feasting on a cow’s foot. Blood scenes are informative and not excessive. Effective book design supports the blood-focused themes, with white fonts against all-black backgrounds and a “Fact Bites” tidbit on each spread set on a drippy red text blob. There is some mention of the positive impacts of the parasites, including the medical value of leeches and the role of mosquitoes in the food chain. VERDICT Good mix of fact and photographs to support an intriguing topic.

Gr 4-6 –Battling arthropods are introduced with a focus on attributes that would help or hinder in a fight. The animals are rated (on a scale of one to five) on their size, speed, and other attributes. Captioned close-up photographs depict featured body parts fairly effectively. “Fierce Fact” insets provide extra bits of material, usually related to prey and defense. Each book culminates with a present-tense action narrative of the imagined battle. Lively battle descriptions end with a clear winner, who then feasts upon the loser. The fights between scorpion and centipede and tarantula/tarantula hawk are most engaging, since those two pairs are likely combatants in the wild. The others are still intriguing, although referring to the giant hornet as male (“the hornet sends his stinger”) is an unfortunate inaccuracy, as only female hornets have stingers. VERDICT Lively action with useful but not always accurate information.

Gr 4-6 –This well-organized set explains the role of animals in measuring ecosystem health at a level that’s just about right for upper-elementary grades. Opening chapters provide species information and introduce survival threats. Subsequent sections explore threats in more depth, discuss possible effects on both the animals and the environment, and conclude with potential positive solutions. The text covers related topics with clarity, often (but not always) supporting general statements with specific examples. For instance, in Coral Reefs, the sentence “Overfishing…can upset the balance of the whole ecosystem” is followed by research examples of sea urchins in Kenya. Several features encourage readers to explore further, such as excerpts from articles with follow-up questions, suggestions for writing and research activities, and “Perspectives” insets, some of which briefly introduce different viewpoints about environmental impacts. Photos are generally well chosen and include straight animal shots, views of animals interacting with the threats, and scenes of human helpers in action. VERDICT Good introductions to a current and relevant topic.

Gr 3-5 –Although some general species information is provided, the strength of this series is its strong focus on the predatory features of each animal. Hunting techniques, physical assets, and feeding behaviors are introduced with direct, concise language. A few specific details, such as size and speed, are woven into the text, while frequent fact boxes add other intriguing bits of content, such as an impressive comparison of the black piranha’s bite to that of an alligator. Photographs capture the predators in action with well-varied selections, including several with appropriate amounts of blood. Hunting practices described in the text are often accompanied by effective pictures depicting the features. Species varieties are sometimes, but not always, identified in photo captions. VERDICT Useful and likely to be popular entries in a continually strong series.

Gr 3-5 –Clear, straightforward text describes everything students need for animal research, including physical characteristics, food, life cycles, and effect of humans. Differences in species are noted where relevant, as are the characteristics that distinguish the animal from its relatives; anacondas, for example, are compared to other boas as well as other snakes outside of the family. Notable features of each animal, such as the rat’s intelligence and the migration of the monarch butterfly, are well covered. Eye-catching full-page photographs depict and strongly support textual content. Views of the koala’s opposable thumbs and rival meerkats battling are among many stellar examples. The threatened status of vultures, koalas, and monarch butterflies are well explained, and the human impact on healthier populations such as meerkats is also addressed. VERDICT Excellent and accessible overviews with strong visual appeal.

Gr 1-3 –These introductions to animal defense behaviors feature brief examples from a variety of species. Typically six to eight creatures are shown in each title, though Electric Animals examines only three. Descriptions of defense behaviors generally stick to how animals use them, rather than physiological details. In most cases, readers learn the basics of how each animal defends itself, although in a couple instances, the impact of the feature is overstated. For example, in Venomous Animals, the author states that “one bite [from cobra] and the mongoose would be history,” but mongooses actually have pretty strong resistance to cobra venom. Photographs are clear, and most are full page or larger, but their impact and usefulness vary. Images showing predator and prey interacting are most effective, but these are rare. More typical photos depict the animal on its own, often without showing the defense feature effectively. The lack of animal interaction is especially noticeable when the text shifts to present-tense descriptions of action scenes that aren’t well represented visually. For instance, in Horned Animals, the dramatic meeting between a mountain goat and an eagle is accompanied by a photo of a mountain goat just standing on a hill. VERDICT Serviceable introductions for young readers, with some flaws.

Gr 4-6 –A wide range of animal facts are packed into each title of this series. Opening pages discuss the qualities of the broad group covered. Subsequent topical spreads offer interesting facts about several plants or animals within the text, plus captioned photos that often introduce additional creatures. A sidebar inset introduces related information on each spread. Coverage includes key areas such as physical features, behaviors, and survival, with appropriate variation depending on the group, such as mammal parenting. The facts are mostly well chosen and presented with just enough context, although the writing is occasionally a bit disjointed. For instance, in Mystifying Mammals, the author states that “[dolphin] front legs have developed into flippers and their back legs have disappeared altogether,” which is a bit confusing without some evolutionary context. Inviting layouts are varied and usually feature three high-quality images. Back matter contains project ideas, questions based on the text, and a list of a dozen more bits of data. VERDICT Solid overviews of broad biological groups, with fascinating facts to draw browsers.

Gr 3-5 –While the animals in this series are all nocturnal, the content covers general animal facts, with just a bit about nighttime behavior. Clear, straightforward sentences provide the data, with a full-page photograph opposite each page of text. Photos are generally effective, with species varieties clearly identified and solid visual support of the facts. Some photos are especially eye-catching, such as a neatly illuminated hanging opossum and a red fox “mousing” in the snow. White print against a starry-sky background supports the nighttime theme of the series, although many of the photographs appear to be daytime scenes. The eyesight of foxes and opossums are noted as assets for nocturnal animals, but the particularities of nighttime behavior are generally not explored in depth. While the language is occasionally unclear, there’s enough interesting information and appealing visual content to offer solid introductions to each animal group. VERDICT Generally enlightening and attractive additions.

Gr 2-4 –These thoughtful overviews provide selected examples of the roles of plants and animals within an ecosystem. Basic facts about the habitat are followed by simple profiles of the creatures that live there. Each spread ends with a boxed question that is answered with the subsequent page turn, which neatly supports the theme of connections within a habitat. A spread on rock-clinging seaweed, for example, leads into one on animals that also stick to rocks, followed by a transition to barnacle eating processes. Continuity is further reinforced by introducing an animal, then returning to it later. In Pond, for example, dragonfly eggs are laid, nymphs appear seven pages later, and they emerge as dragonflies toward the end. Visual support comes from a mixture of full-page photos and smaller insets, many of which include helpful labels. Each title ends with a useful food web diagram. VERDICT Excellent introductions to how ecosystems function.

Gr 2-4 –This set is dedicated to introducing young readers to the concept of biomes. Opening chapters describe each biome in general terms, followed by brief examples of plants and animals and their respective roles within the chain, with closer looks at specific steps from producer to decomposer. The Prairie Food Chains sequence, for instance, includes grass, a prairie dog, a badger, and worms. A second example presents four horizontal images of steps in a chain, with numbers and arrows showing the progression. This varied repetition, supported by examples, builds on the main concept simply but effectively. The absence of more complex topics, such as food webs, matches the deliberately basic level of learning. Well-chosen photos depict hunting and eating without too much gore and feature helpful labels of the animal’s food chain role plus a simple food chain diagram. VERDICT Basic but well-conceived introductions to the topic.

Gr 2-4 –Grouped by habitat, these profiles examine each animal with three levels of textual information per spread. A few large-font sentences provide the basics about the animal. A row of colored icons are captioned with small-print data on five areas: food, location, size, classification, and “Interesting Facts.” Finally, a cartoon illustration of a character named Safari Sam offers one more tidbit. These are all laid out around a single large photo of the animal, neatly set off against a solid white background. It’s an inviting look that presents an appealing level of written and visual material without daunting younger readers. Though some of the data relates directly to the animal’s environment, the focus is on animals, rather than habitat. While the facts stick to broad views of the animal group, many captions identify the species of the pictured animals. VERDICT High appeal for browsers.

Several of the titles above address animals and ecosystems with considerable success. For younger readers, Jump!’s “Who Eats What” focuses on food chain basics, while Ruby Tuesday’s “Nature’s Neighborhoods” explores broader habitat relationships. Both are strong choices that build knowledge at age-appropriate levels. ABDO’s “Bioindicator Species” takes a more in-depth look at relationships between animals and environments that should engage older students. In Smart Apple’s “Safari Sam’s Wild Animals,” the habitat grouping is secondary to the animal facts, but these are introduced with considerable visual appeal. The allure of the more repulsive aspects of animal life are well represented by Capstone’s flawed but intriguing “Bug Wars” and attractive and well-written Gareth Stevens’s “Real-Life Vampires.” Established series do not disappoint: Capstone’s newest “Predator Profile” titles match the high quality seen in previous books, while Children’s Press’s “Nature’s Children” continues to set high standards for writing and visual content of single species titles.

Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR