Baby Animals in Land Habitats. (The Habitats of Baby Animals). Bobbie Kalman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $15.95 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7744-1 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7731-1 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Animals-Infancy-Juvenile literature. Habitat (Ecology)-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Suzanne Pierson. *** /4
	Baby Animals in Rainforest Habitats. (The Habitats of Baby Animals). Bobbie Kalman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $15.95 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7745-8 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7732-8 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Rain forest animals-Infancy-Juvenile literature. Rain forest ecology-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Suzanne Pierson. *** /4
	Baby Animals in Savanna Habitats. (The Habitats of Baby Animals). Bobbie Kalman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $15.95 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7746-5 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7733-5 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Savanna animals-Infancy-Juvenile literature. Savanna ecology-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Suzanne Pierson. *** /4
	Baby Animals in Water Habitats. (The Habitats of Baby Animals). Bobbie Kalman. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $15.95 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7747-2 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7734-2 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Aquatic animals-Infancy-Juvenile literature. Aquatic ecology-Juvenile literature. Grades 2-4 / Ages 7-9. Review by Suzanne Pierson. *** /4

excerpt:

Layers of the forest

      Many trees grow in rain forests. Different animals live in the different layers of the forest. The layers are called emergent, canopy, understory, and forest floor. The emergent layer is at the top of the tallest trees. Many birds, bats, and monkeys live in or visit these giant trees. The next layer down is the canopy. Sloths, birds, and tree frogs live in the upper parts of these trees. (From Baby Animals in Rainforest Habitats.)

The four new additions to “The Habitats of Baby Animals” series maintain the quality and style of previous books in the series (see CM, Vol. 17, No. 41). They present good information in a relatively simple format. Young readers will benefit from the limited quantity of text compared to photos. Concepts, such as food, homes, life cycle and food chains, are explained simply with text and illustrated with beautiful photographs. Each book includes a table of contents and an index. Although the index is titled “Words to know” and “Index,” there is no glossary.

      The index lists a number of pages where information about topics, such as babies and food, is located. This will be useful to young researchers who may be asked to find an answer to a specific factual question. Many of the index words are accompanied by a small photo which will be a visual cue for beginning readers to lead them back to a particular topic. Words in bold throughout the text are included in the index, but without a definition.

      Each book begins with an explanation of what a habitat is, including identifying living and non-living components. Each book then briefly examines the distinguishing characteristics of the particular habitat that is the focus of the book.

      As in other books in the series, one weakness is the use of black text on dark coloured backgrounds. Sometimes white text has been used on coloured pages, but other times black text is used, making it more difficult to read. I don’t like this practice at any level but find it especially problematic in books for beginning readers.

      Although some information is repeated in each book (a feature that might be considered poor value for older researchers), this characteristic could be very helpful when you are guiding a group of young students through the research process for the first time. Each student can use a different book to do her/his own research, but the teacher can ask the students to locate the same information. For example, together students can find information about what a habitat is at the front of each of their books, and then they can find information about the specific habitat that they are working with, for example, land, rainforest, savanna, water, or other habitats in the series.

      Baby Animals in Land Habitats features baby animals that live in different places around the world, such as deserts, mountains, grasslands, temperate and tropical forests. Most of the animals are mammals but a python and an ostrich are also included. The photograph of the young bobcat with a chipmunk to eat in its mouth may be a bit more graphic that expected in books for young students, but the concept of carnivores is clearly demonstrated.

      In summer and autumn, baby animals learn to find food. This young bobcat has caught a chipmunk to eat. Bobcats are carnivores. Carnivores are meat eaters.