When young readers pick this up, they will feel as if they stumbled upon a scientist's notebook. From the faux leather journal cover to the interior parchment-colored paper, and the page numbers printed atop grayed-out images of skulls, this excellent package has a distinctly vintage feel. The book first introduces bony skeletons ("without bones, we would collapse into jelly on the floor!") and vertebrates before moving from animal to animal so that young readers can get the (literal) inside scoop on backbones. And despite the apparent differences in shape between, say, an Atlantic cod and a red kangaroo, this title makes the point that, when you come right down to it, skeletons are "surprisingly similar" between species. Each of the skeletons support a particular animal's ability to function in the wild (seals have flexible backs that allow them to swim with ease). With labeled skeletons, photographs, additional facts "paper-clipped" onto the page, and a straightforward text l presented scrapbook-style is is an informative look at the bone structures of animal and human bodies. A diagram of bone names concludes.

Beneath skin and fur is an intricate network of bones, connected by the vital backbone, explains this guide to vertebrates. Using an illustrated model of a particular animal-s skeleton as a reference point, Colson introduces other species that possess shared physical, biological, and behavioral characteristics, pointing to the ways in which the skeletal system enables animals to function in the wild-whether examining the structure of a bird-s wing or the bones in a whale-s tail. Wildlife photographs enliven the spreads, and sidebars provide immersive facts about different species (-A sloth-s brown fur has a green tinge to it. This is caused by algae growing in the fur-). An arresting amalgamation of images and insights lets readers gaze just beneath the surface of animal behavior. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)

Gr 4-7 A handsome bit of bookmaking holds a bountiful, beautiful bunch of bones displayed in tawny tones on charcoal pages. From bats to beavers, pachyderms to platypuses, horses to humans, the carefully drawn skeletons glow on the page. Accompanied by "pointers"' to such specialties as beaver teeth, kangaroo shins, and the fused ribs of a turtle, the clear captions provide snippets of information (such as, cod like cold water and elephant seals can dive as deep as 1000 feet). Each critter is also paired with two pages of data about similar animals (an echidna with the platypus skeleton, for example, and capybaras and mole rats with the beaver). These pages are graced with small color photos and drawings. One spread labels a lion's bones. The artwork is eye-catching, reminiscent, perhaps, of the "plastination" exhibits wandering about the country, but far more elegant and perusable at will. Not, perhaps, a first choice for a research project (unless skeletal comparisons are part of the picture), but attractive, inviting, and browsable. Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY