Meet Damara, a cheetah who lives in Oregon's Wildlife Safari. With amazing photographs, this book discusses the origins of the cheetah as well as its physical characteristics, diet, and speed. A cheetah can reach up to 43 miles per hour in just 2 seconds! Sprint to this book and learn about the amazing world of cheetahs. (TD) 

Arnold, Caroline.  Giraffe.  New York:  Morrow, 1987. 

Learn all about giraffes.  Learn how they eat and chew, how to tell different species, and learn how they play and live.  Meet little Easter and a newborn giraffe, too.  The photos are beautiful and capture the spirit of these giants. (KS) 

Arnold, Caroline. Prairie Dogs. New York: Scholastic, 1993. 

They bark, but they aren’t dogs! Prairie Dogs are actually rodents. They build tunnels, play, raise pups, find food, hide from predators, and settle in for a long winter sleep. (MJG) 

Arnold, Caroline.  Snake.  New York:  Morrow, 1991. 

Did you know that there are over three thousand different species of snakes in the world?  Focusing on Rosy, a four-foot long boa at the Los Angeles zoo, Arnold investigates these intriguing reptiles.  With the vivid photographs and informative text, Arnold effectively introduces young children to the fascinating world of snakes.  (MJ) 

Arnold, Caroline.  South American Animals.  New York: Morrow, 1999.  48 pages (grades 1-4) 

Want close-up color photographs of South American animals—birds, monkeys, sloths, snakes, frogs, jaguars, armadillos, tapirs, tarantulas, guanacos, spectacled bears, deer, foxes, maras, flamingos, sea turtles, and penguins?   There’s a brief 100-word paragraph for each animal.  (MK) 

Arnosky, Jim. All About Rattlesnakes. New York: Scholastic Press, 1997. [28]p. 

Ssss! This book reveals the mystery of how snakes move their scales and muscles, how their venom helps them to eat, and how they warn with their rattles.  Illustrations with informative captions and advice on how to hike safely are also included. You may be surprised to find that snakes are often misunderstood reptiles. (TD) 

Arnosky, Jim.  Deer at the Brook. New York: Scholastic, 1986. 

Follow the deer tracks along the brook as deer come alone or as a family to drink the water. The beautiful illustrations give you a close-up view of the deer. Beginning readers will want to read the simple text all by themselves! (MJG) 
  Brenner, Barbara and Julia Takaya.  Chibi: A True Story from Japan.  New York:  Clarion, 1996. 

Mother duck decides to build her nest in an office park in downtown Tokyo, right next to an eight-lane highway.  Once her ten ducklings are born, the workers in the offices finally notice the duck family.  Some just watch, while others take pictures of them.  One of the duck watchers, Mr. Sato, even names the tiniest duckling, causing the Japanese to fall in love with it.   (JD) 

  Darling, Kathy. Arctic Babies.  New York: Walker and Company, 1996. 

The Arctic is a cold place.  A very, very cold place.  Cold enough for babies to live.  That is, animal babies.  Fourteen animal babies are described in this book, with a two-page section for each one.  We learn where they live, what they eat, who their enemies are, and how much they weigh. (JD) 

Darling, Kathy.  Chameleons on Location.  Photographs by Tara Darling. New York: Lothrop, 1997. 

It is not easy being green.  To research this book, Tara and Kathy Darling have to go to Hell--a town in Madagascar.  They’ve got some fun facts and stunning photographs.  Chameleons have terrible tempers, and the grumpiest ones display the most colors.  Green means calm.  Yellow means surrender.  Black means mad.  Guess what orange dots mean!   (MK) 

Darling, Kathy. Desert Babies. New York: Scholastic, 1997. 

You may think of the desert as a hot, dry, and barren place, but it is actually full of plants and animals. Plants and animals of the desert have learned to survive in areas where people cannot. Learn about the fascinating baby animals of the desert as you study the beautiful photographs by Tara Darling. (MJG) 
Darling, Kathy and Tara.  Kangaroos on Location.  New York: Lothrop, 1993. 40 p. 

Did you know that kangaroo means "I don't understand you" in Aborigine? Hop along with Kathy and Tara Darling as they show through colorful photographs and well organized text the many kinds of kangaroos. They include fun facts such as a kangaroo can leap the length of a school bus! And which one would win in a race - a kangaroo or a race horse? Hop to it and find out! (TD) 

Darling, Kathy.  Manatee on Location.  New York:  Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1991. 

You’ll feel like you’re swimming along with these gentle marine mammals, thanks to the big beautiful color photos in this book!  Find out all about these “sea cows” and where you can go to see them in real-life, who their enemies are, and more. (KS) 

Darling, Kathy.  Tasmanian Devil.  New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1992. 

Only found on the island of Tasmania, Tasmanian devils are dangerous and scary creatures.  They are one of the most hated and feared animals in the world.  Kathy and Tara Darling go on location to tell us about the physical characteristics, behavior, and eating habits of these animals.   (JD) 

  Esbenson, Barbara Juster. Tiger With Wings: The Great Horned Owl. New York:  Orchard, 1991. 

Rarely does an animal escape from the razor sharp talons of a great horned owl.  Fierce as a tiger, these deadly hunters glide soundless through the night sky.  The clear text captures the mystery of nature’s magnificent great owl.  (MJ) 

Freedman, Russell.  Killer Snakes.  New York:  Holiday House, 1982. 

Find out all you can about these deadly snakes—where they live, what they eat, and who’s the most deadly.  See which ones have the longest fangs, who’s the fastest, and who spits. (KS) 

Gibbons, Gail. Spiders. New York: Scholastic, 1993. 

Did you know that spiders were on the earth even before dinosaurs roamed the earth? Which spider is dangerous to humans? Get the facts about spiders! (MJG) 

  Gibbons, Gail. Sharks.  New York: Holiday House, 1992. 

With over three hundred and fifty species, sharks have been swimming in the oceans long before the dinosaurs walked the earth.  This book explores the many types of sharks, the physical characteristics of these animals, and how these fascinating creatures survive in their environment.  (MJ) 

Grossman, Susan.  Piranhas.  New York:  Dillon, 1994. 

Did you know that piranhas can grow up to two feet long?  There are over thirty different species of piranha, wow!  Learn all sorts of cool facts about these mysterious and important fish. (KS) 

Head, Honor. What's It Like to Be A Baby Elephant. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook, 1998. 
Do baby elephants get in trouble for misbehaving?  Do they get sunburn?  Everything you want to know about baby elephants, and their parents, too.  Too cute to miss. (JM) 

Lauber, Patricia. Snakes are Hunters. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1998, 32 pgs.

General knowledge about snakes in a easy reading style. If snakes give you the creeps this is the book to try. Interesting snake facts are accompanied by detailed illustrations. By the end of the book you’ll find snakes aren’t as scary as you thought.
(DAH) 

Markle, Sandra.  Growing Up Wild: Wolves.  New York: Atheneum, 2001.

This 32 page book has simple text and full-colored photographs, and you’ll see young wolf pups growing up.  Glossary in back. (MK)

Markle, Sandra.  Growing Up with Wild Bears. New York: Atheneum, 2000.

See baby bears of all kinds, grizzly, black and polar bears.  You’ll see grown up bears and day old baby bears and learn what they eat, how they play, and how they stay alert for danger.  Text is appropriate for first through fourth grade readers. (MK)

Markle, Sandra.  Outside and Inside: Kangaroos. New York: Atheneum, 1999.

A fun book on kangaroos. See great photos of kangaroos kissing, fighting, and baby kangaroos peeking out of Mama’s pocket.  You’ll even see the gush inside a kangaroo stomach.  Text is appropriate for first through fourth grade readers. (MK)

  Moss, Cynthia. Little Big Ears: The Story of Ely.  New York:  Simon & Schuster, 1997. 

Echo, the leader of the elephants, gives birth to Ely.  But Baby Ely can not walk.  When the other elephants go on, Echo waits until Ely learns to shuffle along on his knees. In this stunning book, Moss documents the first year of Ely's life in Kenya.  (MK)

  Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. What Good Is A Tail?  Photographs by William Muñoz.  New York: Cobblehill, 1994. 

Most animals, birds, and fish have them—tails.  What are they and what are they used for?  Simple text and color photographs show how animals use their tails for movement, balance, and hanging on to tree branches and plants.  They even use them for communication and self-defense.  This is a fascinating look at this very useful appendage. (CG) 

Pringle, Laurence.  Animal Monsters:  The Truth about Scary Creatures.  New York:  Marshall Cavendish, 1997. 

Stop being afraid; learn the facts about many creepy animals.  From the vampire bat to the komodo dragon, the gila monster and the Tasmanian devil, the truth is told and the made-up nonsense is erased.  Look at these amazing creatures like you never have before. (KS) 

Ryder, Joanne.  Little Panda: The World Welcomes Hua Mei at the San Diego Zoo.  New York: Simon & Schuster, 2001.

Close-up shots of Hua Mei, from birth to present.  Easy to read text and great photographs.  (MK)

  Simon, Seymour.  Big Cats.  New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 

There are big cats found in every continent except Europe, Australia, and Antarctica.  We learn about the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, puma, cheetah, and snow leopard throughout the book.  The incredible photgraphs give a close-up view of details we wouldn't otherwise be able to see.   (JD)

Simon, Seymour.  Wolves.  New York: HarperCollins, 1993. 

The BIG, BAD WOLF.  Are wolves really as bad as people say? Or maybe they are much like your pet dog.  Where can wolves be found? Can they become pets? (JW)

Wolfman, Judy. Life on a Pig Farm. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Carolrhoda, 1998, 48 pgs.

A detailed look into life as a 4-H member and a pig farmer. Follow the 4-H project from piglet to show ring and market as learn all about raising pigs. A glossary and index are included and interesting information is given on the 4-H organization. Photographs make you think your right on the farm. (DAH) To the Top