Mammals Great and Small

Gr 3–6—These overviews of large animal groups are neatly organized, with a good mix of general information and specific details. Structures vary depending on the group: Cats of the Wild, for example, highlights a different species on each page or spread, while Birds examines key features such as wings and nesting. Each section starts with a one-paragraph long topic overview, while multiple illustrations and fact boxes fill the rest of the spread. It's usually clear when information applies to the broader groups or specific species. Illustrations are mostly drawings of standard quality, with the occasional photograph mixed in, providing useful visual context, though limited excitement. There's a wealth of intriguing information in each book. Occasionally, too much data is crammed into one box, but effective layouts and solid writing offers strong appeal to browsers looking for lots of animal factoids. The series was printed in Australia in 2011 with slightly different titles and covers, so libraries with the earlier set can pass on this current version.