Fun facts about salamanders!

Gr 1-3-Succinct texts present basic facts about the featured animals, including physical characteristics; typical behavior; diet; etc. Each spread focuses on a different topic, introduced by an outsize heading that asks such questions as, "Where do salamanders live?" and "How do turtles eat?" Most two-page sections have a sharp, full-page color photograph of a representative species, many in close-up, and a small photo of a different species is often included on the text page as well. The opening spreads have a photo of the subject animal with labels for major body parts. About a dozen species are depicted in each book, identified in captions by common names. Both titles boast clean, colorful formats that will attract browsers. Salamanders helps fill the gap in the dearth of material on this amphibian for this audience. With its concise text and profuse photographs, Turtles is a good companion to Melvin Berger's Look Out for Turtles! (HarperCollins, 1992), which offers slightly more information on anatomy and reproduction and discusses threats to turtle survival.-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.