This lavishly illustrated chronicle of Earth's biodiversity is a visual delight. Compiled by a team of animal experts from Australia, the U.K., and the U.S., it presents an overview of animal life and behavior. The audience includes younger readers, who will enjoy the photos and illustrations, as well as adults interested in the natural world. Following an overview on animal classification, evolution, behavior, and more, content is arranged in six taxonomic sections covering mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates. Each of these sections is broken down into smaller sections that treat particular subgroups. A sample entry on bears covers two pages and includes the classification, two photos, six illustrations, a diagram of the skeletal structure, text about feeding and anatomy, and a sidebar on bear paws. A "Fact File," which relies heavily on icons, enumerates characteristics such as size, distribution, reproduction, and conservation status. The information presented is a good start, although readers may need to turn to more comprehensive works, such as Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia , for details about a specific species. The Simon and Schuster Encyclopedia of Animals (1998) is very similar to the University of California volume in size, arrangement, and number of illustrations but does not include invertebrates. The reasonable price and attractive layout of The Encyclopedia of Animals will make it a popular choice for school, public, and academic libraries.

The animal kingdom encompasses a mind-boggling range of creatures, from immobile sea squirts and long-winged Andean condors to predatory cheetahs and shy, nectar-loving butterflies. This illustrated reference methodically documents all the subgroups in the six taxonomic categories, demonstrating the diversity of life comprehensively and beautifully in pages dominated by full-color photos and line drawings. An overview of the animal kingdom's essential characteristics includes sections on evolution, biology, habitats and endangered species. The largest portion of the book is devoted to mammals, with somewhat shorter chapters on birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes, and the briefest on invertebrates; these groupings are further divided into orders and families, and sidebars highlight the species that fall into these categories. Other marginal text boxes provide intriguing details on subjects like anatomy, parenting behavior and species interaction. The writing isn't overly technical, but it does assume readers possess an intermediate knowledge of biology, though the book contains a glossary of scientific terms for those who don't. A bird's-eye view of the varied creatures that walk the Earth, this is an excellent general reference for animal lovers of all stripes.