Lions ANNOTATION
Describes the physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior of lions.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Susan Hepler, Ph.D.
This entry in the "Wild Wild World" series contains an animal overview, interesting facts subcategorized by headings of double-page spreads (e.g., "Lion Groups," "Expert Hunters," "The Pride Feeds," and "Playing and Learning") and numerous vivid close-ups arranged artistically or sequentially to illustrate a concept. Photographs lack captions and surround and face the short paragraphs of text that appear on each page. For instance, a page about lion groups shows how lions spend time, mark boundaries, or rest. While one photo depicts a lion peeing, another shows it clawing a tree—both characteristics of marking territory, but captions do not help the reader. While a child does not to have to read much text or go far to discover what the photographs portray, by not using captions the series misses the chance to educate children as to how to "read" the photos more deeply or to confirm what we think is being pictured. Photographs are a mix of lions in the wild and those in an enclosure visible in the background. A skimpy four-word glossary and no index make this an additional purchase for most libraries, or one to read as an introduction to the topic, since the good pictures might lead to research in other more completely realized texts. 2003, Blackbirch Press/Gale Group, Ages 7 to 11.
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