These easy readers present useful information about whales and African elephants. The texts touch on topics ranging from feeding and migration habits to endangerment and conservation. Silly riddles, "Weird but True" sidebars, and "Ten Cool Things" facts, along with attention-grabbing photographs and some diagrams, augment the accessible main texts. Websites. Glos., ind.

Gr 2-3-These three books all follow the same basic format of short, two- to three-page chapters, large print, and lots of full-color photos. Each book gives basic information about its subject such as the animal's physical characteristics, its habitat, and what it eats. The easy vocabulary and short sentences are geared toward children beginning to read independently. Cats is the weakest of the three. Other than a brief discussion of the breed's history and its somewhat different appearance, the information (such as care of the animal, raising kittens, etc.) would apply to any domestic cat. Kids interested in finding out about this breed would definitely need something with more specific details. Elephants and Bears work better and will appeal to children looking for easy-to-read material about these animals.-Arwen Marshall, Minneapolis Public Library Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.