Penguins (Picture Library) - Hardcover

Grade 4-6-- Two utilitarian titles that feature full-color photographs of their subjects. A few of the shots are excellent, but the majority are quite ordinary. Bits of information are presented in short passages of text, picture captions, and concluding pages of added history. Kangaroos is a sketchy survey of different species, many of which are intriguing because of their unusual appearance. Little description is provided beyond their approximate size, locale, and type of diet. Birth of the young and their rearing in the pouch is treated briefly, with only a few young depicted. Differences between male and female marsupials are not explained. The more cohesive presentation on Penguins puts more emphasis on care of eggs and chicks and also depicts assorted species. The material in both books is factual, but fragmented and wooden. Neither provides a satisfactory account of the full life cycle; mating is never mentioned except for a statement that penguins usually mate for life. These are quick assemblages in a busy format; many other books on these animals are more appealing or more comprehensive in their coverage. --Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
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