Whose track is that?

K-Gr 2--Wildlife photographer Tekiela helps children investigate which footprints belong to which creatures. Each creature gets two spreads. The first spread contains a picture of an animal track, a silhouette of the animal's head, and clues about its identity. Readers can make a guess before turning to the next spread, which provides a picture and more specific information about the animal. At the end of the book, there is an outline of the front and back print of each animal identified and a ruler for readers to measure their own "track." Also included is a short feature about Tekiela's experience in the field and other children's books that have been written by him or included his photography. The book's overall design is appealing and kid-friendly. This would be a great read-aloud for beginning readers and a fun guessing game for wildlife lovers. VERDICT A strong purchase for libraries with good circulation of other Tekiela books. A great addition to school libraries, classroom libraries, and home collections.--Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elementary School, Warren, MI

When Tekiela, who previously challenged readers to guess Whose Baby Butt? (2018) can't find any animal butts, he must make do with snapping pics of their tracks. The first of two double-page spreads gives readers a close-up photo of an animal track in sand, snow, or mud on the recto and a large-print clue, a tiny silhouette of the animal, and a small-print hint on the verso, the combination of which makes it almost impossible for readers not to be successful. ("This animal's front paws look like a person's hand, with five fingers. / It sometimes even dunks its food in water! / Whose track is that? / HINT: This animal has black rings around its tail.") The following spread reveals a full-color picture of the animal (a raccoon, in this case) and some information about it. The photos of the tracks are a mixed bag. Some are difficult to make out, and the majority show only a single print, though the otter's row of tracks does include a slide. Robin, bullfrog, earthworm, deer, bobcat, dog, beaver, Canada goose, and bear are the other animals. A backmatter spread of the full tracks of each animal provides readers with very clear illustrations for comparison, but there is no guidance on where to look for or how to cast tracks. Each is labeled with the relative size of the print, and a ruler (in inches only) runs along the bottom. A good guessing game but not a great resource to take into the field. (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Small and round, my tracks are not easy to spot. My claws don't stick out, so my tracks don't leave claw marks in the mud or snow. Whose track is that? HINT: This animal looks like a large house cat. It's a Bobcat! Bobcats are small cats, not much larger than a house cat. They are found in a wide variety of habitats, from forests to wetlands. When a bobcat walks, its back feet step directly into the tracks of its front feet. This makes it look as if it only leaves a single line of tracks. ***** You can see this animal's tracks when it migrates back home. Its tracks are tiny and thin, which can make them hard to see. Whose track is that? HINT: This animal often runs for short distances before stoping to look for worms. It's a Robin! When an American Robin runs across your lawn and turns its head, it's not listening for worms. Instead, it's looking for them. As its eyes are located on the side of its head. Excerpted from Whose Track Is That? by Stan Tekiela All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.