Lizards in the Sky

Gr 3—6—Eamer looks at animals living unexpected lives in unanticipated habitats. Birds and spiders underwater, snakes far out in the open ocean, fish on land, burrowing owls, and shrimp in the desert are just a few of the creatures introduced. The physiological adaptations they have made to survive are described; e.g., the gliding Draco lizard of the southeast Asian forests has thin membranes of skin on five to seven extra-long ribs that it opens and spreads to glide between trees when hunting tree ants or escaping predators. Text boxes with factual tidbits add to the narrative. The drawings and photographs on every page are in full color, but their jauntiness borders on overkill. Nevertheless, the content outweighs this design flaw. Overall, an enjoyable and fascinating title.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA