It almost earned an “additional purchase,” but it poked one of my review buttons: even when writing for young children, I think it’s important not to talk down to them.  On p. 12 it states, “Your blood moves around your body in tubes.”  If they’d only added, “called veins and arteries,” I’d be happy.  Instead, they used “tubes” as the vocabulary used in the diagram, index, and glossary.  I think they’re underestimating young readers unnecessarily.

I thought about giving this book an “additional purchase” rating — it’s got an adequate, if not substantial, amount of information; it’s clearly organized, and written in text that is comprehensible to it’s young audience, without being overwhelming (not too much per page), etc.  But there’s one sentence in it that I’m struggling with the authenticity of, and I figure inaccuracy in a non-fiction book should make it “Not recommended.”  On page 23 it states, “Currents are made by wind, too.”  While wind is one factor among several that influence currents, it’s a gross over-simplification to say they “make” them, even for young readers — if you don’t want to go into too much detail, I don’t mind a little ambiguity, but…

Minimal information, but sturdy binding, colorful photos, all the necessary text features for teaching non-fiction literacy skills.  More useful for the classroom than for the library.

A lot of significant vocabulary and complex science presented in clear text and supportive illustrations to make it comprehensible to young students.  I like this book because it targets young readers without losing substance.

The information is limited, but the detail in the clear, up-close photographs is fabulous.  Intended more as a literacy tool for emergent readers, the information is weak, but definitely about a topic of interest to many students.  It includes photographs and statements about many different kinds of critters, likely to spur curiosity rather than satisfy it.

Bright, bold illustrations and simple text introduce young readers to the graphic novel format while also explaining the role of Veterinarians in our community, outlining the different reasons people may take their pets to see a vet, and what is likely to happen when they visit.

This is not a book of information, so much as a literacy development tool for very emergent readers.  There is only one sentence per page, and it is pretty much the same sentence on every page, with just the verb changing: “A baby _____ at the zoo.”  Even the verbs repeat sometimes, so that multiple pages say the same sentences.  Each is accompanied with a full-page color photo of baby zoo animals supporting the text.  Good binding.

It’s got a good, sturdy binding, large color photos to support the text, lots of text features for teaching about non-fiction, large font, and simple text (using lots of repeating vocabulary) to present the basic scientific information about the sense of touch.  It’s light on information, useful more as a literacy tool than as an information source, so it would perhaps be more suited to the classroom than to the library.

A fun collection of poems all created around a theme of school, with such such topics as yucky cafeteria food, writing sentences as punishment, substitutes, etc.  Kids will enjoy and relate and laugh.

This is a fun book, full of cheerful illustrations describing this author’s imaginings of what the world of fairies is like:  it declares that fairies were created from the love of girls and butterflies, and goes on to describe them in different types of settings, with different kinds of wings, and different purposes.  The illustrations have lots of pink and lots of flowers, and I know a lot of girls at my school who will eat it up.  My one gripe with the book is that when it lists different celebrations fairies have, it lists the longest night of the year celebrated on December 7th instead of December 21st.  Oh well.