Animal and plant migrations may not seem to be a fascinating subject. But from the book title and first line of text (Aliens are everywhere) to the information-packed, full-page color illustrations, this overview of ecological missteps is nonstop intriguing. Batten focuses on what happens when animals and plants migrate or are brought to ecosystems different from their own. Her narrative moves quickly and interestingly from topic to topic, covering everything from conquering armies and settlers carrying animals and plants to their new home to accidents and failed experiments that have brought such scourges as fire ants and gypsy moths to wreak damage on crops and forests. She concludes with a list of suggestions to help children avoid carrying invaders with them as they travel. Lively personal-interest reading, this picture book for older children is fast moving, clear, and well detailed.

Batten clearly explains how alien species have been introduced through history, then gives worldwide examples of such species in their new habitats and of the native species that they threaten to displace. Detailed art spanning two pages supports the text; the pictured animals and plants, from Australia's native bilby to alien kudzu in the United States, are identified at the bottom of the page. Glos.

The familiar starling, gypsy moth, and kudzu vine are all alien to North America, wreaking havoc on established plant and animal ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. This visually striking and readable title describes what happens to ecosystems when alien plants or animals are introduced by accident or intention. The author explains why island environments are especially vulnerable, with examples from Australia, overwhelmed with 500 million rabbits, and Hawaii, where domestic pigs damaged fern ponds producing breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Young readers may be surprised to learn that the gypsy moth was brought to North America to develop a local silk industry and Brazilian beekeepers imported African bees to improve local honeybee stock; both with disastrous results. Some species come as tagalongs: the zebra mussel, clogging the Great Lakes; fire ant, damaging crops and injuring livestock in ten southern states; and caulerpa algae, destroying sea life in the Mediterranean seabed. The examples throughout are thought-provoking, the illustrations outstanding, and the concluding words on steps to take to keep aliens out are helpful and practical. Doyle, who specializes in environmental art, provides handsome, double-paged portraits of animals both native and new to their natural habitat, using a footnote to clue readers into which are which. Fascinating. (Nonfiction. 8-12)

Gr 3-5-This book explains the devastating effects of nonnative plant and animal species on local ecosystems. Batten covers the many different ways that alien invasions can occur, telling the stories of gypsy moths, kudzu, starlings, fire ants, zebra mussels, and many other aggressive invaders. The text ends with steps that readers can take to stop the encroachment of nonnative species. The spreads are beautifully illustrated with animals and plants that almost seem to jump off the pages. Everything depicted is labeled, and a helpful key designates which ones are native, endangered or threatened, alien, or extinct. Because it lacks the navigational tools necessary for locating information such as page numbers or an index, this book will be of limited use to researchers. Visually appealing, it should capture the interest of browsers.-Laurie von Mehren, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.