ALA Booklist (Fri Nov 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

Reviewed with Joan Holub's Why Do Rabbits Hop?K-Gr. 2. Holub, who took on cats and dogs in her previous books in the Dial Easy-to-Read series, follows a similar format as she introduces horses in one volume and rabbits and other small pets, such as hamsters, in another. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the text is both interesting and informative. What are baby and adult horses called? Is a pony a horse? Are horses smart? These are just a few of the questions answered in an easy-to-read style. Rabbits may be a more useful choice as it features animals children are more likely to have as pets. It delineates the differences between hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs and describes the way the small animals eat, move, play, and socialize. Both books have a bright, appealing format that combines jaunty original art and well-chosen photos.

Kirkus Reviews

Holub ( Why Do Rabbits Hop? , below, etc.) continues her series of easy readers focusing on a particular animal with this offering that will be popular with the younger faction of the horse-crazy set. She uses a question and answer format as the structure to impart a broad overview of the equine world, including horse classifications, behavior, characteristics, care, and an introduction to riding. She works interesting tidbits of information into the text, including some surprising facts that children will enjoy, such as the fact that horses sleep only three hours per day or the statistics about the world's oldest horse on record. Humorous spot illustrations alternate with full-color photographs of horses, many being held or ridden by children. This combination of illustration styles provides an attractive visual variety, augmented by the leading questions on each page reproduced in purple type. The text is written for readers at the early fluency level, but this will find other uses as well: for younger children who are just getting interested in horses and for older children who are reading below grade level. The amount of information covered in a simple, interesting way makes this an excellent introduction to this popular topic. (Easy reader/nonfiction. 6-9)

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2001)

This simplified account of Pocahontas's life and of fifteenth-century European and Native American relations strives for cultural sensitivity in the text and in the brightly colored illustrations, but many details are presented without any interpretation. Small text boxes and a final page add facts to a book that's a good reader but simplistic history. Ind.

School Library Journal (Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2003)

Gr 2-3 Using a question-and-answer format, Rabbits discusses the different traits and behaviors of rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. While all are rodents, each one has its own peculiarities. Horses does the same for horses and ponies. Charming, full-color photographs and drawings, especially those depicting the animals interacting with humans, mostly children, enhance the large-type texts. A winning combination of tightly written narrative, age-appropriate vocabulary, and worthy illustrations guarantees that independent readers will enjoy these titles. Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA