Summary of X WhyZ Animals (by Mark Shulman & James Buckley Jr.)
X Why Z Animals is
written for inquiring young minds. This
non-fiction book is broken into 8 sections, each a different class of
animals—mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, arachnids, sea animals, birds,
and dinosaurs. The sections begin with a
brief description of each class, including a description of characteristics
unique to them. Then, there are
questions that kids commonly ask like:
Why do chameleons change color?
Why do snakes stick out their tongues?
Why do baby deer have spots?
Why do roosters crow in the morning?
Why do dolphins make clicking sounds?
Why do fish swim in schools?
The questions have a short explanation in child-friendly
language. There are also “X Why Z Facts”
interspersed throughout, which are fun tidbits about animals. Colorful photographs compliment each page of
this “Time for Kids” book.
Evaluation
The book is oversized with big print and vivid photographs. The information is laid out well and the
questions are engaging. It is ideal for
sitting with young children and reading out loud.
X Why Z Animals
could be used in a classroom to accompany units on different classes of
animals. The only downside is that each
animal class is not dealt with equally.
For instance, there are 20 pages devoted to mammals, but only 2 for
amphibians. Granted it, children may be more interested in mammals because of
their interaction with them at home, on farms, and in the woods. However, I feel the coverage could be a bit
more equal.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I recommend it for kids ages 3-8. They will enjoy the pictures and dialogue
about some of their favorite animals.
The X Why Z series includes books on space, the human body, and general questions.
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