April 1, 2017
K-Gr 3-Well-designed introductions to animal development that pair simple text with clear photographs. The sequences showing embryo development in Chicken and Turtle are particularly effective. Close-up photos sometimes span an entire spread and will hold the attention of listeners, who can view and discuss the information in small read-aloud groups. Butterfly is marred by a confusing statement about migration that suggests a single monarch travels north in summer and south in winter, oversimplifying the complex cycle. A picture glossary also includes pronunciation. VERDICT Despite the misstep noted above, most volumes are first-rate picks.
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January 1, 2018
Each substantive text explains, step-by-step, how the titular animal develops from the time of fertilization to adulthood. Close-up photographs of embryos and developing young are especially illuminating. �cf2]Turtle�cf1] incorporates subject-specific vocabulary (�cf2]scutes�cf1], �cf2]yolk sac�cf1], etc.) with particular clarity, and both accessible books introduce the convention of image labeling. Additional facts about each animal are appended. Reading list. Glos., ind.
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