April 1, 2024
K-Gr 3-This fact-filled series about big cats includes lots of interesting information for eager readers. Facts about the animals' habitats, hunting habits, appearance, social grouping, speed, diet, and development are clearly presented. Each volume identifies the cat's status on the world's endangered scale, and almost all these beautiful creatures are identified as at least "vulnerable." In all cases, the reason is habitat loss and hunting. The series includes great close-up color photos. As needed, labeled arrows point to cats' specific features, clarifying information in the text. Additionally, each title includes a world map, with the cat's range noted in red. Of special interest in each volume, especially to cat owners/lovers, is a side-by-side size diagram comparing the height at shoulder and length (without tail) of the big cat to those of a house cat in inches and centimeters. Various diagrams offer information about cats, including conservation status, populations in the wild, population trends, and lifespan. Back matter includes a glossary and an index, a bibliography, and resources for additional information. VERDICT Recommended for schools and public collections. Sensitive students may feel concerned about some hunting scenes, though they're not gory.
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May 15, 2024
Grades 1-3 The facts packed into the Wild About Cats! series (6 titles) are not "kitten" around! Each work provides an easy introduction a big cat through its most unique attributes and habits, followed by hunting behaviors and child-rearing activities. Each title notes the vulnerability status of the designated cat population and compares size to that of a common house cat for easy reference. These leveled-readers use challenging vocabulary, accompanied by simple sentence structure and vivid photographs related to each subject throughout the work. Lions are contrasted as social creatures living with prides in grasslands, open woodlands, and thick brush areas south of the Sahara Desert. Also featuring retractable claws, they are far more reliant on members of the pride to collaborate on hunting and defense. The works conclude with a glossary for more complex terms, index, additional reading resources, and a plug for Bellweather's database, Factsurfer. Sure to be an essential resource for curious young readers ready to learn more about big felines.
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