101 animal records

An animal yearbook? Why yes, that's exactly what this book resembles, starting with the cover image of animal headshots in rows. Inside, readers will find a list of 101 animal superlatives. While there's no Most Likely to Succeed, there are such accolades as Loudest Insect (the cicada) and Strongest Tongue (the anteater) and Most Useful Insect (the honeybee). The authors skip an introduction, diving straight in with #1, then present a new superlative on each page accompanied by a paragraph of explanatory text. For instance, #32, or Best Bird Dad, is the male Emperor Penguin, which sits near the female while she lays an egg on the ice. Then, for two months, the father keeps the egg toasty on top of his feet, covered by a flap of skin, while the mother searches for food. Each page has two photographs, one large and covering half the page and the other small and framed. Kids who love pouring over the Guinness Book of World Records and those who find animals fascinating will discover much to wow them here.--Kelley, Ann Copyright 2010 Booklist