Discovering Jellyfish Discovering Sea Lions Discovering Seagulls Discovering Starfish

Gr 3—5—Each of these titles briefly describes the major physical and behavioral characteristics common to all of the animals and one or two distinctive characteristics of about a half dozen to a dozen species. Some topics specific to the featured animals are also addressed. For instance, Sea Lions outlines the major physical differences between those animals and seals; Seagulls describes the birds' role as scavengers, etc. One or two sharp color photographs of representative species, most of which are close-ups, accompany the text on every page. Additional facts about species' characteristics are offered in extended captions and colored, oval-shaped inserts that are scattered throughout. All four titles do a fine job of covering the basics; the texts are well organized and smoothly written in an engaging style. Solid introductions.—Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library