Hippos spend their days in the water and their nights grazing; this, and many other fun facts are presented in easy-to-follow text for beginning readers. Full-page photographs and leveled text introduce readers to the fascinating world of hippos. Supplemented by a picture glossary, this is an excellent resource for any reader.
November 1, 2012
PreK-1-With a design that is reminiscent of the larger-format "Pebble Plus: African Animals" series (Capstone), each attractive spread presents one large-font sentence on a white background opposite a full-bleed color photo. Unfortunately, photo choices are repetitive and inadequate. For example, in Cheetahs, near-identical headshots of the animal are used, antelopes ("their main food") are not pictured, and nowhere in the book is the famously swift cat shown running. Nor do the photos always correspond to the texts. For instance, in Hippos, a hippo basking in a sunlit pond is opposite a sentence that states, "At night, they feed on land." A perfunctory picture glossary and index don't always clear up obvious questions. In Warthogs, for example, the first sentence says that "Warthogs have warts," but there is no definition or label to clarify the term.
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