Reviewed by CBC Reviewer
N/A
Want to learn more about frogs in the world, how they make different sounds, sizes, how they hunt for food, and the differences between frogs and toads? Try this easy–to–read and highly descriptive book with many outstanding pictures.
Readers begin by trying to imitate a frog sound, and soon realize that there's great diversity in this group of amphibians. Dozens of species are shown, and the author makes their differences clear. "Herpetologists rarely say, "All frogs do this...' These animals are just too varied, too amazingly different." Because the illustrations support each page's text, the deep and meaningful content on each double–page spread will be accessible to elementary readers and valuable to secondary explorers as well. There's even one spread where the reader is challenged to find camouflaged anurans in a tropical habitat. (A key is provided at the end.)
Mating calls, anatomical adaptations, reproductive methods, and life cycles are all shown in a global perspective. The author ends with a caution, explaining why frogs have become bellwethers of environmental degradation and why many species are threatened. This NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book will be a good fit for many grade levels and a wide range of purposes.
Review posted on 1/16/2013
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