Animals of the Oceans (Animals by Habitat)

Gr 3-6--Each of these flawed titles begins with an introduction to its "habitat" (a more accurate term would be biome) before moving on to discuss the varied animal life that can be found within it. Well-organized chapters are divided into mammals, birds, reptiles, etc. Each entry is accompanied by a small, world outline map that places the animal in its proper locale. Full-color photographs, while clear and of good quality, do not always support the text. Readers are told that the sea snake has a paddle-shaped tail, but the photograph shows only half a snake (the other half seems to have swum off the edge of the page) and it is difficult to tell which end it is. The text can be equally confusing. The introduction to Desert stresses heat. The opening sentence reads, "Deserts are the hottest, driest places on earth." No mention is made of the dry but cold deserts where over half the precipitation may fall as snow. In Ocean, the habitat is subdivided into "oceans" and "seas." Readers are told that "many sea animals prefer to live in warm water, while others prefer it to be cold." No mention is made about whether this also applies to ocean dwellers. Savage also states, "The temperature of the water determines the species of animals that live there." Other factors such as light, food, currents, and shelter are not mentioned. The index lists the subjects by categories rather than alphabetically; thus, readers must know if what they are looking for is a mammal, an invertebrate, etc. These books might serve as supplementary additions where needed, but April Pulley Sayre's "Exploring Earth's Biomes" Series (21st Century Bks.) is a far better first choice.

Lisa Wu Stowe, Great Neck Library, NY

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