• PARENT REVIEW
• EDUCATOR REVIEW

In an innovative and intriguing animal book illustrated with dazzling cut paper collages, explore the animal kingdom sorted by color. There are four pages of red animals, with two or three profiles on each page, and an explanation of how the color red helps that animal stay alive. Take a gander, for instance, at the poisonous Malaysian cherry-red centipede, whose color lets predators know it won't be tasty; the most poisonous fish in the world, the stonefish, that looks like a piece of red coral, hiding on the ocean floor; and the baby crow, whose open red mouth signals the parents that it is hungry. Other colors profiled are blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink. What a visual feast for animal fans.

At the back of the book is a glossary, arranged by color, with a mini-sized picture of each creature, its length, habitat, diet, and a few extra facts. As you share this book with your children, ask them to categorize each animal into its family—insects, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, mammals. Talk about other animals they know that use their colors for camouflage, courting, or communicating.

Reviewed by JF.

Themes: ANIMALS.

In an innovative and intriguing animal book illustrated with dazzling cut paper collages, explore the animal kingdom sorted by color. There are four pages of red animals, with two or three profiles on each page, and an explanation of how the color red helps that animal stay alive. Take a gander, for instance, at the poisonous Malaysian cherry-red centipede, whose color lets predators know it won't be tasty; the most poisonous fish in the world, the stonefish, that looks like a piece of red coral, hiding on the ocean floor; and the baby crow, whose open red mouth signals the parents that it is hungry. Other colors profiled are blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, and pink. What a visual feast for animal fans.

At the back of the book is a glossary, arranged by color, with a mini-sized picture of each creature, its length, habitat, diet, and a few extra facts. As you share this book with your children, ask them to categorize each animal into its family—insects, fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, mammals. Talk about other animals they know that use their colors for camouflage, courting, or communicating.

For teachers and librarians, this might spur a good simple research project where students pick an animal, find some facts in books, encyclopedias, or online, and design posters formatted like the index entries.

Reviewed by JF.

Themes: ANIMALS.