Animal Skins

Gr 2-4–Skins, feathers, scales, hair, fur, and wings are all included in this wide-ranging look at the outer coverings of living things. Some pages focus on a class of creature: “Instead of hairs, birds have feathers. Feathers do lots of things—help a bird fly, attract a mate and keep warm.” Other pages highlight a particular species. Full-page photos, some double-spread, accompany each topic. The crisp photos show great detail, not only of each animal’s outer covering but also its face and eyes. Some pages have overlaid text, but generally, the text is on plain white pages facing the appropriate photo. The same size font is used throughout the book and is presented simply, without boxes or inserts. Back matter includes four pages of related learning activities and additional information. The book lacks an index or table of contents.