Penguins!
Grade 2-4-Another in the parade of books from Gibbons's busy pen and paintbrush, this one deals with those fascinating denizens of the Southern Hemisphere. The simply written, clear text describes penguin physiology, geographic location (via a color-coded map), lifestyles, and nesting/brooding habits (with an emphasis on emperor penguins). It concludes with a discussion of survival difficulties and efforts being made to protect these birds. A final page gives some statistics and drawings of the five species not shown elsewhere in the book. The full-color illustrations are sketchbook style and some children may find it difficult to differentiate among the various crested varieties, while the little blue penguin is shown as blue all over (despite assurance in the text that "All penguins have...white bellies."). The oversized format, brightly colored illustrations, and large type font result in an eye-catching appearance that will attract young researchers and the curious minded alike. Even if you already own Bobbie Kalman's Penguins (Crabtree, 1995) or Annette Barkhausen's Penguins (Gareth Stevens, 1994), you should make room for this title.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.