The Horn Book Guide

SCIENCE

Cleary, Brian P.

Sparrow, Eagle, Penguin, and Seagull: What Is a Bird?

32 pp. | Millbrook | October, 2012 | Library ISBN 978-0-7613-6207-4 $26.60

(4) K-3 Animal Groups Are Categorical series. Illustrated by Martin Goneau. This book gives a light, rhyming overview of the defining features of birds and examples of different species. Packing scientific facts into frantic verse results in some awkward lines; fortunately, the last spread's bulleted summary provides a short, clear recap. Colorful cartoon illustrations of goofy-looking birds are busy, but they occasionally sneak in very basic diagrams or labels to aid comprehension.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi