World's Fastest Animals

K-Gr 2—From this varied and vibrant look at speedy animals, children will discover many intriguing facts, such as what fish is even faster than a cheetah and what bird dives faster than 200 miles per hour to catch a meal. The text is simple and easy to comprehend, while the high-quality stock photos are bright and energetic. Stewart enlivens the information by dropping in material on how long, how far, or on what terrain the speed can be maintained. She also makes use of clever ways to gain readers' attention, such as including the surprising example of the cone snail, a creature that slowly moves across the sandy ocean bottom and whose protruding tube quickly shoots poison to capture its prey, or discussing unusual skills, such as which insect flaps its wings the fastest. This smoothly written, well-illustrated title will draw children in, satisfy their curiosity, and inspire them to seek out more information on the topic.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA