This is a large, oversized book. The digitally-colored graphic and watercolor illustrations are attractive, though it can take a while before realizing the illustrations are not to scale. The book is presented as though the reader is visiting a museum, so the authors are the curators and chapters are the galleries. Each gallery describes a few animals of a certain type, ex.: plankton, arthropods, birds, etc. Most galleries also include a description of a particular habitat, ex.: coral reef, deep sea. For the creatures included in the book, the entry for each includes the common name, Latin name, size, and some descriptive information. The most disappointing portion is the double page oceanic zones illustration. The giant sea spider looks like an extremely interesting creature, but it is not in the index, and research takes time to discover that its true size means illustrations are not to scale. Other animals on the oceanic zones are also not included in the book, making this the most disappointing part of a browsing book that may turn off some reader excitement for those who might otherwise have followed up with the “To Learn More” resources.

Recommended for Grades 4-8

Reviewed by Betsey Noble, Marcia Buker Elementary School