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Erik Stoops animals series for young readers
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-These books each consist of a series of about three dozen questions and answers, ranging from one or two sentences to a paragraph. Bat Basics asks such questions as, "Are bats blind?" "Why do bats hang upside down?" The text also lists zoos and other organizations with displays of live bats in the U.S., and outlines the work of the Organization for Bat Conservation. Bat Conservation briefly describes the animals' ecological importance, conservation efforts of various U.S. zoos, etc. It also suggests ways readers can aid bat survival in their own communities and includes detailed directions for constructing two kinds of bat houses. The remaining four titles repeat some of the general information and then briefly describe major physical and behavioral characteristics of their featured creatures. Clear, full-color, snapshot-sized photographs appear on almost every page. The list for further information is the same in all six titles. The texts, loosely organized by topic, are clearly written, with a couple of exceptions. The directions for building bat houses that appear in two of the books use terminology only an experienced woodworker would understand and require tools and skills beyond the ability of most children. A tinge of anthropomorphism also mars the texts in all but Bat Conservation. More than a half dozen questions and answers are the same, or virtually the same, with a few word changes, in three titles, which seems like the worst sort of padding. About the same number of photographs are also duplicated. Most of this information is already available in many more detailed introductions.
Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library
Excerpt
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-These books each consist of a series of about three dozen questions and answers, ranging from one or two sentences to a paragraph. Bat Basics asks such questions as, "Are bats blind?" "Why do bats hang upside down?" The text also lists zoos and other organizations with displays of live bats in the U.S., and outlines the work of the Organization for Bat Conservation. Bat Conservation briefly describes the animals' ecological importance, conservation efforts of various U.S. zoos, etc. It also suggests ways readers can aid bat survival in their own communities and includes detailed directions for constructing two kinds of bat houses. The remaining four titles repeat some of the general information and then briefly describe major physical and behavioral characteristics of their featured creatures. Clear, full-color, snapshot-sized photographs appear on almost every page. The list for further information is the same in all six titles. The texts, loosely organized by topic, are clearly written, with a couple of exceptions. The directions for building bat houses that appear in two of the books use terminology only an experienced woodworker would understand and require tools and skills beyond the ability of most children. A tinge of anthropomorphism also mars the texts in all but Bat Conservation. More than a half dozen questions and answers are the same, or virtually the same, with a few word changes, in three titles, which seems like the worst sort of padding. About the same number of photographs are also duplicated. Most of this information is already available in many more detailed introductions.
Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library
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