Reviews

Is that a chimpanzee or an orangutan? Maybe it's a gorilla? This series will clear up any confusion one might have about primates. Each book starts off with a description of what primates are and shows where they live in the world. There are chapters about the featured primates' classification, adaptations, life cycle, behavior, intelligence, and their future. Each book also offers a quick reference profile showcasing specific physical differences through a photograph and information about the weight, height, habitat, diet, etc. Each book also gives information on relevant organizations. These books contain maps, diagrams, captions, and stunning photographs. There are unique factoids throughout the books making them useful for research. Text is written in a simple and straightforward manner that is easy enough for upper elementary students to read, yet contains plenty of information for researchers. Bibliography. Glossary. Websites. Index. - Patricia Walsh, Educational Reviewer, Norfolk, Virginia Library Media Connection August/September 2012 Issue Highly Recommended-- "Library Media Connection"

These meaty introductions to our closest animal relatives will give young readers a solid grounding in primates' physical features, social habits, mental capabilities, and lives in their wild habitats. Sidebars profile scientists, such as Dian Fossey and Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, and cover how much they have learned about the animals from observing and interacting with them in both their natural environments and in captivity. Though there is some uneven coverage (monkeys are squeezed together in a single title while bonobos and orangutans have books of their own), there is still plenty of information in any of these volumes for assignment use. All of them are liberally illustrated with animal (and researcher) photos and enhanced by fact boxes and side commentary. - John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York, NYSchool Library Journal April 2012 Issue-- "School Library Journal"