Review by Booklist Review
K^-Gr. 2. Holub, who took on cats and dogs in her previous books in the Dial Easy-to-Read series, follows a similar format as she introduces horses in one volume and rabbits and other small pets, such as hamsters, in another. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the text is both interesting and informative. What are baby and adult horses called? Is a pony a horse? Are horses smart? These are just a few of the questions answered in an easy-to-read style. Rabbits may be a more useful choice as it features animals children are more likely to have as pets. It delineates the differences between hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs and describes the way the small animals eat, move, play, and socialize. Both books have a bright, appealing format that combines jaunty original art and well-chosen photos. Ilene Cooper
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-3-Using a question-and-answer format, Rabbits discusses the different traits and behaviors of rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. While all are rodents, each one has its own peculiarities. Horses does the same for horses and ponies. Charming, full-color photographs and drawings, especially those depicting the animals interacting with humans, mostly children, enhance the large-type texts. A winning combination of tightly written narrative, age-appropriate vocabulary, and worthy illustrations guarantees that independent readers will enjoy these titles.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA (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
Easy-to-read texts ask and answer these and other common questions about cats' and dogs' physical attributes, life cycles, senses, behaviors, and evolution. Packed with interesting information and illustrated with an abundance of cartoon artwork and color photographs, these books also include directions for making cat toys and teaching your dog basic obedience commands. From HORN BOOK Fall 2003, (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
Holub (Why Do Rabbits Hop?, below, etc.) continues her series of easy readers focusing on a particular animal with this offering that will be popular with the younger faction of the horse-crazy set. She uses a question and answer format as the structure to impart a broad overview of the equine world, including horse classifications, behavior, characteristics, care, and an introduction to riding. She works interesting tidbits of information into the text, including some surprising facts that children will enjoy, such as the fact that horses sleep only three hours per day or the statistics about the world's oldest horse on record. Humorous spot illustrations alternate with full-color photographs of horses, many being held or ridden by children. This combination of illustration styles provides an attractive visual variety, augmented by the leading questions on each page reproduced in purple type. The text is written for readers at the early fluency level, but this will find other uses as well: for younger children who are just getting interested in horses and for older children who are reading below grade level. The amount of information covered in a simple, interesting way makes this an excellent introduction to this popular topic. (Easy reader/nonfiction. 6-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
