Snails, shellfish & other mollusks

Gr 4-6-Dozens of invertebrates with fantastic shapes and bizarre behaviors are featured in these broad surveys. Concise paragraphs of text, buttressed (in most sections) by multiple color photographs, identify the major groups to which the subject animals belong and describe their physical and behavioral characteristics. The books also touch on their natural habitats, diets and feeding habits, defense mechanisms, reproductive methods, and the development of young. Anywhere from one to nine sharp color photographs of representative species complement the texts; most have extended captions that describe distinctive characteristics. Also included are diagrams of major body parts and internal organs and a simple classification chart. All three titles have smoothly written, well-organized texts and a wider scope than most introductions to the subjects. For instance, Gilpin surveys all seven classes of mollusks, while other books aimed at this audience typically focus on the more familiar classes, such as gastropods (slugs and snails) or cephalopods (cuttlefish, squids, and octopuses). And, while Sally Morgan's Sponges and Other Minor Phyla (Raintree, 2004) covers similar material and offers a bit more detail on the classification of some of the same simple animals, the Parker titles describe-and depict-a greater number and variety of invertebrate phyla. With their succinct texts and colorful formats, all three volumes will appeal to students and browsers alike.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.