Animal Homes

Gr 1-3–Just like humans, animals need a place to live. The newest entry in Holland’s series of wildlife books describes different types of animal dwellings. Each spread features a photograph of an animal home, a close-up of the animal, and straightforward information about the style of habitat and animal. All of the highlighted animals are ones that might be found in a deciduous forest environment, such as squirrels, black bears, and beavers. Some of the animals make their homes out of a wide variety of materials, including leaves and other forest detritus. Some utilize spaces already existing in their environment. Animals with built-in homes (exoskeletons) also receive a brief mention. The discussion prompt at the end of the book will encourage readers to think about their own homes. Additional learning activities include a matching game to pair animals with their correct homes and a more detailed exploration of animal home building materials (some birds even use cigarette butts). The book could be integrated into lessons related to ecology, conservation, and biomes.