Deep Sea

K-Gr 3—Animals take center stage in these introductory habitat volumes. After a brief overview and map of biome locations, Wilkins devotes most of the books to one- or two-page features about various animals, some familiar, others unusual. To minimize confusion, most descriptions identify where the animal lives (e.g., prairie dogs in North America and Przewalski's horse in Asia). The author wisely limits ocean creatures to those in the deepest regions, with action photos of an anglerfish and gulper eel luring their prey enlivening the text. Page design and layout, including effective use of text boxes, background colors, and variations in type size, result in visually appealing presentations. Although a pronunciation guide for animals such as pika and ptarmigan would be a bonus, the series covers the essentials.