Nic Bishop: Lizards (Booklist Editor's Choice. Books for Youth (Awards))
Gr 2-5–There's not much to say that hasn't already been said about the high caliber of Bishop's work, and this book is no exception. The photographs capture a variety of lizards in startling detail. Information is presented in much the same format as Butterflies and Moths (2009), Spiders (2007), and Frogs (2008, all Scholastic). A key sentence written in a larger font and different color is set off from the rest of the text on the page. Basic facts about the various lizards are simple to understand, yet written in a voice that draws readers into another world where geckos wriggle out of their skin and flying dragons glide from tree to tree. Endnotes help readers appreciate the amount of work and time that Bishop spent on each photograph and researching his information, particularly for the thorny devil, bearded-dragon hatchlings, and the basilisk, which is photographed literally running on water. Another amazing must-have title.Cathie Bashaw Morton, Millbrook Central School District, NY© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.