ALA Booklist (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

With a minimum of text and a clear, visual focus on its subject, this book is as well suited to young children as its predecessors, including About Reptiles (1999) and About Mammals (1997). A colorful painting of an amphibian fills one page of each spread; on the facing page, the text (in large type) comments on some aspect of amphibian life, and a brief caption (in small type) identifies the animal illustrated. The attractive, dignified portraits of the animals in their habitats and the straightforward, informative approach of the text make the book an attractive resource for primary-grade students, yet still simple enough for much younger children to enjoy. For those who want to know more, a four-page afterword provides further information on each subject introduced in a double-page spread. A useful addition to a solid science series.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2001)

"Somebody / loves you / deep and true. / If I weren't / so bashful / I'd tell you / who." Hopkins gathers Valentine's Day poems by children's poets Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Heidi Bee Roemer, and others. Since these are easy-reader poems, they tend toward the roses-are-red variety, but they are all sweet and sometimes even funny. Adinolfi's art features lovestruck kids of different ethnicities.

Kirkus Reviews

Continuing their exploration of the animal kingdom, this author/illustrator team presents a breathtaking introduction to amphibians. Each brief line of text sits boldly on a large white page to be extended and accompanied on the next by a full-color painting of an amphibian and its habitat. For example, "Amphibians have soft moist skins." The accompanying painting shows the red-and-black-dappled reclining Red Salamander. The slick and shiny moist red skin of the amphibian contrasts vividly with the fuzzy green moss. Amphibian portraits are suitable for display and invite careful repeated looking. The text captures the essential characteristics of amphibians with admirable brevity. Unfortunately, only common names are given for species and there is no information on size or range. The author concludes with additional information on each of the paintings, describing more about the particular amphibian illustrated. This is a very fine easy-reading introduction to amphibians that will be savored by young viewers and teachers. No index. (Nonfiction. 5-8)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2 A companion to this team's About Birds (1991), About Mammals (1997), About Reptiles (1999), and About Insects (2000, all Peachtree). A simple fact ("Amphibians have soft, moist skin") is followed by a clear, realistic, full-color, full-page painting. The afterword offers further information, with brief data on the animal, setting, or concept shown in the color plates, accompanied by small black-and-white photos of the paintings. This attractive and useful book is marred by an error in the size reached by bullfrogs (only the minimum is given), and some purists may argue that the eastern narrowmouth toad is really a frog (even field guides disagree on the proper nomenclature). These minor carps aside, this book is inviting, informative, and eye-catching. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY