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32 pp.
| Andersen
| April, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5124-3949-6$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5124-3970-0
(4)
K-3
Young camel Jamal cannot keep up with his parents in a Bedouin caravan. Lost and afraid, Jamal encounters a string of desert animals, including the falcon that finally leads the camel safely to his family. The story is slight, but Foreman's graceful watercolor and pencil illustrations strikingly contrast the empty, lonely desert with the bustling traditional marketplace, the sea, and Dubai's gleaming modern skyscrapers.
(3)
K-3
Do You Really Want to Meet...? series.
Illustrated by
Daniele Fabbri.
In each book, readers accompany an inquisitive child on a journey to observe wild animals in their natural habitat. Bold cartoon illustrations and the second-person text add to the immediacy of the experience. The texts are peppered with facts (on habitat, diet, and behaviors) and questions to readers; some also include warnings about the dangers of interacting with wild animals. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these Do You Really Want to Meet...? titles: Do You Really Want to Meet a Badger?, Do You Really Want to Meet a Camel?, Do You Really Want to Meet a Hippopotamus?, Do You Really Want to Meet a Wolf?, Do You Really Want to Meet an Orca?.
(4)
K-3
Zoom In on Desert Animals series.
This basic introduction to camels offers cursory facts about appearance, habitat, food, and life cycle. A simple (if choppy) text for emergent readers is adequately reflected in the accompanying photos. The appended "Quick Stats" section offers random height and weight comparisons. Glos., ind.
(4)
K-3
A+ Books: Awesome Asian Animals series.
These large books use simple texts, impressive photos, colorful graphics, and basic organization to introduce "awesome" Asian mammals. The language is mildly engaging ("Roar!"; "Munch! Munch!"), though information occasionally feels superficial ("Camels look somewhat like alpacas and llamas. That's because they are part of the same animal group"). Each book includes Common Core critical-thinking questions. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books: Awesome Asian Animals titles: Camels Are Awesome![cf1[, Orangutans Are Awesome!, and Bengal Tigers Are Awesome!.
(3)
K-3
Seedlings series.
These attractive books provide bite-size facts about their subjects, including their habitats, physical appearances, family relationships, diets, and behaviors. Engaging, bright close-up photographs are prominently featured, and each book concludes with anatomically labeled photos of its respective animal. Spare, kid-friendly texts with highlighted vocabulary words make the information accessible to new nonfiction readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings titles: Camels, Pandas, Polar Bears, Sea Lions, Whales, and Zebras.
24 pp.
| Smart Apple
| March, 2015
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-62588-164-9$27.10
(4)
K-3
Big Beasts series.
These books introduce large mammals, covering physical characteristics and adaptations, diet, behavior, habitat, and care of young. The presentation is formulaic, but plenty of colorful photographs support the accessible texts, which include kid-pleasing details: "Hippos sprint faster than a human..."; camels' "pee is a thick syrup..." Each volume concludes with a "BIG Facts" spread providing readers with comparisons and additional information. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Big Beasts titles: Camel, Dolphin, Hippo, Kangaroo, Lion, and Panda.
(4)
K-3
Amazing Animals series.
Vivid photographs providing up-close views of the daily lives and behavior of the title mammals are the highlights of these slim volumes. Minimal texts touch on habitat, appearance, diet, and offspring, and supply a folk-story answer to a question about each creature (e.g., "How did camels get their humps?" "Why do zebras not have horns?"). Reading list, websites. Ind. Review covers these Amazing Animals titles: Camels, Cougars, Sea Lions, Whales, and Zebras.
32 pp.
| Pelican
| September, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4556-1823-1$16.99
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Julie Dupré Buckner.
This book chronicles the nineteenth-century experiment of using camels to transport army supplies from Texas to California. Fisher relates the camels' journeys from North Africa to Texas, their reception by the public, and their trips westward. Full-page illustrations--some static, some with compelling perspectives--accompany the interesting but awkwardly written text. The author's note offers additional background information and historical context.
48 pp.
| Groundwood
| October, 2013
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55498-381-0$17.95
(2)
K-3
Illustrated by
Linda Wolfsgruber.
A camel suffers under hard-driving master Halim. The Prophet Muhammad comforts the beast, and the camel weeps. Its tears "sifted into Halim's dream," and Halim too weeps and awakes filled with compassion. This tale "inspired by a hadith" (an "account of the Prophet's words or actions passed from generation to generation") resonates with universal meaning. The story is beautifully supported by desert-hued full-bleed monoprints.
259 pp.
| Scholastic
| June, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-439-84674-5$16.99
(4)
4-6
Chronicles of the Red King series.
Timoken the Red King builds his castle from stones stolen from "the conquerors" and makes a home for his old friends and orphans he newly befriends. The story is told in poetic language, but the dreamlike episodes lack tension, as most problems are resolved using Timoken's unbounded magical powers. Nevertheless, fans will enjoy the pleasant, if flat, narrative arc.
209 pp.
| Scholastic
| June, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-439-84673-8$16.99
(4)
4-6
Chronicles of the Red King series.
This prequel series to the Charlie Bone books begins with Charlie's ancestor Timoken (the future Red King) protecting a jinni's magical gifts from the viridees after his parents are murdered. The tale's succeeding episodes don't build tension, relying on deus ex machina storytelling, but the fanciful events still pass agreeably. Other series entries are likely to follow.
40 pp.
| Candlewick/Templar
| May, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-4429-1$15.99
(3)
K-3
In Beach, a boy seeks modes of transportation--notably, a camel--to get to and from the seaside. Boat finds the title character facing sea monsters and storms. These sturdy square-shaped books with die-cut covers will stand up to repeated page-turning. Design features include some variety in font size and text that wraps words around the imaginative watercolor and ink illustrations. Review covers these titles: Little Boat and To the Beach.
32 pp.
| Holt/Ottaviano
| August, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-7834-3$16.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Scott Mack.
In a Kenyan orphanage, Muktar, a Somali refugee, daydreams about camels and his family's "old ways." When a librarian arrives with books carried by three camels, Muktar helps tend the creatures. Dramatic desert-hued paintings illustrate the story. A map of Africa and an author's note provide some context, though the story also stands on its own.
32 pp.
| Whitman
| November, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8075-7453-9$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Giuliano Ferri.
A bright star is the signal for Balthazar to visit the newborn king. He entrusts Small Camel to transport a special package. When they arrive in Bethlehem, Small Camel realizes he's been bringing gifts for Jesus. The protagonist's wishy-washy personality isn't enough to carry the story, but illustrations in shades of desert tan and evening blue are pleasingly expansive.
336 pp.
| Hyperion/Jump
| October, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4231-0033-1$16.99
(4)
YA
In an alternate-reality Nigeria, 2070, fourteen-year-old Ejii, a telepathic "shadow speaker," learns that she will avert a war. With her affectionate talking camel, Ejii heads into the Sahara Desert to prepare. The novel is brimful with ideas about war, destiny, and identity, but the overly transparent moral message mitigates its power.
32 pp.
| Gareth
| September, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-8368-4181-6$$23.33
(4)
K-3
All about Wild Animals series.
Illustrated with photographs, these volumes are filled with facts about each species. Short paragraphs, each with an individual heading, will help students looking for specific information. A focus on each animal's neighbors and a typical day are unusual features. Distinctions between types of animals, especially in Camels and Elephants, can be confusing. There are five other fall 2004 books in this series. Glos., ind. Review covers these All about Wild Animals titles: Camels, Elephants, Polar Bears, Tigers, and Zebras.
32 pp.
| Random
| September, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-375-81426-4$16.95
|
LibraryISBN 0-375-91426-9$18.99
(4)
PS
Illustrated by
Charles Santore.
A droll, if somewhat whiny, camel laments his lot in this presentation of Carryl's Learian turn-of-the-century rhyme: "Weasels / are wavy and sleek... / But a camel's all lumpy / and bumpy and humpy-- / ANY shape does it for me!" Santore's goggle-eyed poodles and droopy-lidded camels have character aplenty, but they don't quite make up for the poem's abrupt ending.
48 pp.
| Benchmark
| September, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7614-1750-8$25.64
(3)
4-6
Animals Animals series.
These clearly written books describe each featured animal's physical characteristics, different species (except in Cheetahs), diet, and life cycle. Also discussed is the decline in all these animal populations, dramatically depicted in Cheetahs and Rhinoceroses with maps showing previous and current habitat areas. The crisp color photos, which often fill the page, should attract readers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Animals Animals titles: Bats, Cheetahs, Camels, and Rhinoceroses.
32 pp.
| Orca
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 1-55143-284-6$$16.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kasia Charko.
In a tale so strange it must be (and is) true, young Cameron and his father lead twenty-one camels on a supply delivery mission during the Canadian Gold Rush of 1862. Manuel's fictionalized account is well paced and contains touches of humor that offset some of the stiff dialogue. Charko's watercolor and colored-pencil art features a bevy of expressive camels.
24 pp.
| Gareth/Weekly
| September, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 0-8368-3267-1$$18.60
(4)
K-3
Animals I See at the Zoo series.
In large type, each book in this series presents simple facts about the animal on the left page, with an acceptable color photo on the right. Though lacking depth, the books are appropriate to introduce the youngest readers to wild animals commonly held by zoos. Websites are listed in the bibliography. There are six other fall 2002 books in this series. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Animals I See at the Zoo titles: Camels, Elephants, Hippos, Monkeys, Sea Lions, and Tigers.]