Animals and Oil Spills

Gr 4–6—Each volume introduces a threat to the Earth's environment and then looks at the negative impacts on particular animals. Information is current and reasonably detailed, with dates and statistics included. Brief sections focus on one animal, outlining the dangers caused by environmental changes. There are useful facts here for report writers, but the frequently clumsy syntax ("So climate change begins with how Earth stays warm or cool: the oceans") and imprecise language will discourage some readers. Photographs, usually two or three per spread, are of generally good quality, though not all are especially informative. Although these topics are necessarily filled with bad news, the tone is relentlessly dire, with few examples of optimism. Concluding sections on actions readers might take are vague and not particularly encouraging. The approach of tying environmental crises to the animals they affect is sound, but below-average writing limits these books' appeal.