Time to sleep

K-Gr 3-Jenkins and Page introduce an array of creatures, showcasing how they bathe and sleep. Both titles conclude with an appendix detailing further information about the featured animals. The illustrations are rendered in torn- and cut-paper collage, with each animal is set against a white background. The brief text floats nearby, resulting in a pleasant balance that focuses on the creature in question. In Bath, readers are informed that animals bathe for different reasons: to clean themselves, to cool off, to warm up, and to dissuade parasites. A "vulture takes a sunbath. The sun's warmth feels good, and the sunlight helps kill bacteria." The gecko, lacking eyelids, keeps its eyeballs dirt-free by licking them with "its long, flexible tongue." Sleep introduces animals from the familiar red fox to the lesser-known basilisk. Fascinating behaviors are detailed with explanations, such as the "white stork sleeps in flight.by taking a series of naps that last just a few seconds each." Among the myriad curiosities is the bottlenose dolphin: "one half of its brain stays awake to tell the dolphin when it's time to surface and take a breath." Readers will be captivated.-Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Most living things eat, bathe, and sleep, but they don't all accomplish these tasks in the same fashion. From the familiar to the lesser known, a selection of animals are highlighted for their unique behaviors. Accessible text, along with torn- and cut-paper collages set against white backgrounds, place each animal in the spotlight. More detailed descriptions of the featured creatures are appended. [Review covers these titles: Time for a Bath, Time to Eat, and Time to Sleep.] (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.