How many series on farm animals have we seen? And yet these volumes in the 21st Century Junior Library: Farm Animals series manage to parlay their low page count into surprisingly deep and wide-ranging discussions on the various aspects of an animal's existence. The format is standard: a picture (often rather small) on a brightly colored background on the left-hand page, and a block of text on the right. It's the text that is so impressive, with its use of simple, explanatory language to introduce unusually advanced vocabulary. In Ducks, readers learn such terminology as clutch, dabbling, and gland. Each title grabs the reader with a need-to-know proposition on the first page; for example, Ducks begins by stating that, although ducks enjoy food handouts, "Bread is bad for them. Do you know why? Let's find out as we learn more about ducks." Each animal is not only shown in its natural (and often adorable) state but also as meat on a plate. Info boxes called "Think!" expand the discussion even further (Pigs encourages readers to ask why some of their friends may not eat pork). Colorful and effective glossaries and indexes close out these frank and satisfying books.