Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-A breezy introduction to cheetahs, lions, and Bengal tigers set in the animals' natural domains. Potter and Leo have superimposed a gimmicky humorous scheme on an otherwise straightforward presentation of text and photographs. Three computer-enhanced cartoon animals-Edgar, the Blue-Toed Tiger; Ryan Lion; and Miss Cheetah-are laid onto every scene and add their short quips in dialogue balloons. The informative text has an upbeat zing. "Cheetahs are carnivores, which means that like all cats they eat meat. (Freshly killed, still-on-the-bone, red, raw meat!)" The discussion touches on each animal's size, coloration, social behavior, hunting and eating, care of its young, and communication. Blocks of text in black or white print are laid over the double-page full-bleed photographs. Small, black inset blocks add further details. The photographs vary in quality, though the cartoon figures-somtimes in gold and orange tones and other times as dark silhouettes-dominate the foreground or distract the eye. At the outset, one of the interlopers wonders whether "...wild cats act anything like the little fluffy ones humans have at home." That point gets only a brief occasional nod. Readers will find out much more in Hope Ryden's Your Cat's Wild Cousins (Dutton, 1992) or in the many other titles available about big cats. Still, this is an interesting and informative offering that has the cluttered look of a children's magazine article.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This book follows Miss Cheetah, Edgar the Blue-Toed Tiger, and Ryan Lion on a trip across Africa and Asia to observe their kind. These illustrated characters are superimposed on photographs so they're part of the action, making comments about their experiences. Some may be annoyed by the jokey text and cartoon characters, but others will find they enliven the book, which discusses physical attributes, behavior, and life cycle. From HORN BOOK Fall 1999, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This attention-grabbing book in the Doodlezoo series imparts a wealth of natural history as it goes its merry way describing the lives of cheetahs, lions, and tigers. A collage-inspired blend of photographs, cartoon images, boxed items, and typefaces create an appealing browser's volume. The narrators--Ryan Lion, Miss Cheetah, and Edgar, the Blue-Toed Tiger--introduce salient aspects of cats. A host of facts--what makes the cheetah the fastest, who does the hunting in a pride of lions, why disruptive camouflage and scent-marking territory is important to tigers'help differentiate the big cats from one another, while their love of naps unites them. Funny and useful. (map) (Picture book. 7-10)
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