"Galapagos" Means "Tortoises"
Gr 3-5-Heller's facility with words and her capable artistry have given her a special niche in creating picture-book presentations of nonfiction subjects. In this title, giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies lead a parade of animals of the Gal pagos Islands. Fluid rhymes that describe the bodies and behavior of these creatures as well as iguanas, seals, flamingos, and other birds accompany realistic paintings that fill single pages or spill across the double-page spreads. The well-designed book features front and back endpapers with a map and a handsome assemblage of the wildlife. The contents page appears at the end of the book and faces an author's note outlining the rise and fall of the tortoise population. The fluent play with words, humorous commentary, and fine pictures offer pleasing fare for reading aloud, and the book is versatile in its possibilities for personal enjoyment or classroom teaching about poetry, unusual animals, or the Gal pagos Islands.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.