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CM . . . . Volume XVI Number 5. . . .October 2, 2009. 
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Welcome to the World of Frogs and Toads.
Diane Swanson.
North Vancouver, BC: Walrus Books/Whitecap Books, 2002.
28 pp., pbk., $6.95.
ISBN 978-1-55285-354-2.
Subject Headings:
Frogs-North America-Juvenile literature.
Toads-North America-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12.
Review by John Dryden.
***½/4
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excerpt:
Frogs that spend much of their lives in water can hide and hunt at the same time. Their big eyes and nostrils usually sit on the tops of their head, so the frogs can see and breathe while keeping mostly our of sight. There's a hitch, though. The frogs can't spot what's right in front of their noses. For that, they have to turn sideways.
BREAKING NEWS: Author Diane Swanson has helped me reveal the shocking revelation that the ill-fated slug in the book, Some Smug Slug, by Pamela Duncan Brown, may actually have survived as frogs and toads lack the ability to see directly in front of them. Details to follow....
Welcome to the World of Frogs and Toads is yet another excellent book written for young nature sleuths.
There is always a table of contents in these books, and always an index in the back, which is a nice reliable format for young researchers. A glossary is most often not necessary in Swanson’s books because her style of writing gives excellent context to otherwise difficult words. I have grown very much accustomed to Swanson's use of abstract titles for each section in her books with each having to contain the word “World.” For example, “World Full of Food” is used in the place of what one might expect, “What do frogs and toads eat?” Swanson's “Welcome to the World of...” series are all set up in this fashion usually including seven sections describing the life and habits of each subject.
The books are full of colour photographs and sidebars of remarkable information. For example, one such sidebar, entitled “Fabulous Frogs, Terrific Toads,” lists some neat trivia about them, such as: “Over the summer, a single toad can eat 10,000 insects.”
Another noteworthy aspect to this and other books in this series is the clear delineation between the specific information and “bonus content,” such as the sidebars. Readers are able to see that the two texts are separated which helps maintain their focussing on just the facts when needed.
Welcome to the World of Frogs and Toads was an enjoyable read and will leave readers wanting to hop back to the series for more information about other critters and creatures. If your school library doesn't have this series of books, they are an excellent purchase.
Highly Recommended.
John Dryden is a teacher in BC’s Cowichan Valley.
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Welcome to the World of Alligators and Crocodiles.
Diane Swanson.
North Vancouver, BC: Walrus Books/Whitecap Books, 2002.
28 pp., pbk., $6.95.
ISBN 978-1-55285-355-9.
Subject Headings:
Alligators-Juvenile literature.
Crocodiles-Juvenile literature.
Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12.
Review by John Dryden.
***½/4
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excerpt:
Just doing what gators do, American alligators help other animals. In dry seasons, wetland birds, fish, snakes, turtles, and insects depend on water stored in holes where gators wallow. In rainy seasons, gator made paths worn in soft ground help drain off extra water.
Reptilian researchers will discover that most of their unanswered questions about alligators and crocodiles will be answered after reading this book. Author Diane Swanson reflects her own enthusiasm for learning about nature's inhabitants in her “Welcome to the World of ...” series.
The layout is always consistent in this series. There is a table of contents in the front, an index in the back, and loads of photos and captions throughout. The books have many sidebars of trivia type information that is very interesting to read.
Swanson has a great talent in explaining the cool “tricks” that her subject animals do. For example, to explain how the crocodilians submerge, she states: "They simply flick their feet upward, spread out their toes and down they go. They can close their nostrils and ears, which keeps the water out." These types of descriptions add to the value of these books as readers can achieve understanding through Swanson's use of the language.
I have observed students browse through the pictures in these books and pick up facts as they go. I have seen student researchers go over the fine details in these books, gleaning every scrap of information. This series has succeeded in achieving the broad appeal that nonfiction books are often not able to attain. The “Welcome to the World of...” series is a sure bet for every library.
Highly Recommended.
John Dryden is a teacher in BC’s Cowichan Valley.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to
cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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