Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3-5. The color photographs are the best part of this examination of the skunk's world. The many pictures show the three types of skunks found in the U.S. (striped, spotted, and hog-nosed) caring for their young, eating, digging, sniffing flowers, and, of course, spraying potential predators. The text gives a good overview of skunks' habits, but it can be confusing. For example, the author points out that skunks don't hibernate in the winter; instead they take "long naps" and sometimes sleep for "several weeks or months." An explanation of the difference between a long nap and actual hibernation would have been helpful. Overall, however, the text is succinct and readable, and it covers the points needed for most reports. A short glossary, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites are appended. --Todd Morning
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-An appealing introduction to an often-misunderstood animal. The narrative follows the day-to-day activities of skunks, focusing on the striped skunk, but with some information on spotted and hog-nosed skunks as well. The basics are covered, such as what they eat, how they raise their young, where they live, and, of course, how they defend themselves. Each spread features at least one appealing full-color photo and the captions often provide a few extra facts. There's nothing here that can't be found elsewhere, but the storylike text has appeal for browsers. Report writers will find what they need, but it may take a bit of work to locate specific information. Similar in scope to Emilie U. Lepthien's Skunks (Children's, 1993) and Sandra Lee's Skunks (Child's World, 1998), but with a slightly different method of presenting its facts, this is a serviceable addition to natural-history collections.-Arwen Marshall, formerly at New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Souza provides a straightforward, well-organized introduction to the most common skunk in North America, the striped skunk, along with brief information on spotted and hog-nosed skunks. The book will be attractive to animal lovers as well as to students writing reports. The accompanying color photos are clear and captioned. Bib., glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
