Review by Horn Book Review
Each spread in this book is illustrated with several friendly looking animals on a vibrantly colored background. Small paragraphs as well as curvy strings of text impart random facts about the pictured animals, sometimes grouped together by related characteristics (birds, large mammals, polar animals, etc.) There isn't much substance to the scattershot information, but young trivia buffs will likely be sold. (c) Copyright 2014. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Surrounded by pithy commentary, dozens of common animals bound, stride, swim or otherwise pose against high-contrast monochrome backdrops in this unvarnished attempt to amaze. Both facts and factoids are offered in a mix of floating text blocks and undulating lines in a larger size. The tidbits of natural history range from peculiar features ("Goats have rectangular pupils!") to notes on common sizes or weights, feats of speed or migratory travel. Much of the need-to-know "information" centers on alimentary issues, such as the amount of poop an elephant produces every day (110 pounds) and how long it takes a gobbled-down fly to travel through a hummingbird (10 minutes). But the author provides no source notes to expand on or back up her claims. Furthermore, though Aspinall arranges his smiling but recognizably depicted creatures in loosely thematic groups with the occasional paw or tail serving as transition to the next spread, there is no sense of closure; a tiger's face cut off by the gutter on the last page brings the presentation to an abrupt end. High-interest topic; low-budget production. (Informational picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
