Discovering sea lions

Gr 3-5-Each of these titles briefly describes the major physical and behavioral characteristics common to all of the animals and one or two distinctive characteristics of about a half dozen to a dozen species. Some topics specific to the featured animals are also addressed. For instance, Sea Lions outlines the major physical differences between those animals and seals; Seagulls describes the birds' role as scavengers, etc. One or two sharp color photographs of representative species, most of which are close-ups, accompany the text on every page. Additional facts about species' characteristics are offered in extended captions and colored, oval-shaped inserts that are scattered throughout. All four titles do a fine job of covering the basics; the texts are well organized and smoothly written in an engaging style. Solid introductions.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.