A Walk on the Wild Side: Filled with Facts and over 60 Creatures

K-Gr 2—This catalogue of animal species from around the world is framed by the explorations of two young boys. ("I traveled the world through jungles, across oceans, in the woods, on safari, and on farms.") Animals in the scrapbook are grouped by habitat or region and can be referenced individually in the handy index. Each animal is displayed in an illustration (sometimes including the boys interacting with it) and described in a couple of sentences. The sketchlike artwork is endearing and clever, drawn with pen and enhanced with rich watercolors. The two boys and the animals have a cartoonish quality (they all have the same stylized eyes), but all representations share a solid measure of faithfulness to their subjects. All creatures are recognizable for what they are, though some of their comical facial expressions may elicit giggles. The couple sentences of text per animal will hopefully pique readers' curiosity enough to inspire further research. Humorous details about the creatures on the boys' journey are sometimes included ("This frog is called Josephine."). The mix of general and specific information is sometimes unpredictable; Josephine is just a "frog," but the neighborhood bird is a "great tit."