The World's Biggest Birds (Pogo Books: The World's Biggest Animals)

Mari Schuh is the author of more than 200 nonfiction children's books, covering topics from tomatoes to tornadoes. She has written numerous articles for daily newspapers and has presented at the West Virginia Book Festival. Mari lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their house rabbit, Kindle.

Gr 2-4-Each book introduces the class of animals in question before moving on to two chapters, each of which focuses on a different "biggest" animal. Basic info, with an emphasis on size, is provided. The authors employ child-friendly comparisons: school buses, cars, and average child or adult weight or height are frequent standards. "Did You Know?" insets extend the facts, while labels, simple graphs, and a world range map add value. Photos are clear and well chosen. A final graphic contrasts the height, weight, or length of one or both of the animals with humans, inviting further exploration. A quick "Try This!" activity that concludes each volume continues the math integration. VERDICT Young readers will find both the topic and treatment inviting as they are encouraged to interact with the text through questions and extensions.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.