Show Me Reptiles: My First Picture Encyclopedia (A+ Books)

Megan Cooley Peterson is a children's book author and editor. Her book How To Build Hair-Raising Haunted Houses (Capstone Press, 2011) was selected as a Book of Note by the TriState Young Adult Review Committee. Megan's love of animals began at an early age. Her childhood home was filled with animals, including two cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, a salamander, and four dogs. When not writing, Megan enjoys movies, books, and all things Halloween. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and daughter.

Gr 1-2-The claim that each title provides "more than 100 facts and definitions" is a considerable understatement. Aimed at emergent readers, the books pair several color photos (generally cutouts) per spread with short but gratifyingly specific captions that are well-stocked with specifics and feature pronunciation guidelines where appropriate. Dogs, for instance, not only presents dozens of breeds along with anatomy and proper care, but also lays out all seven official American Kennel Club groups (sporting, toy, etc.) and even devotes a spread to "Designer Dogs and Mutts." Though many of the photos in Reptiles are too dark to make out smaller details, readers will get a good sense of that class's diversity and its common features as well. Insects is likewise broad in scope even though human bodies and homes receive no mention on the spread about habitats. Transportation covers its topic less successfully; the pictures are too small (plus, a view of the Russian Soyuz capsule is mostly shadow), and there is no mention of aerodynamics on the spread about flying vehicles.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.