About the Author

Paul Kratter is the illustrator of RIVER DISCOVERIES and BUTTERFLY COUNT (Holiday House). He lives in Moraga, California.

Reviews

Gr 3-5-Kratter's text serves as mere accompaniment to his acrylic-and-watercolor paintings of 26 animals in tropical rain forests, from the giant anteater to the zorro. Each illustration is identified with the animal's common and scientific names plus an indication of its length. Unfamiliar words in the brief paragraph on the facing page are defined directly below the sentences. Abundant white space surrounds both text and art, enhancing the potential for group viewing. Endpaper maps indicate locations of the animals, but the text rarely mentions where they are found. Although the information provided is not substantial enough to serve as an overview of the topic, the pictures could offer a striking introduction to units about tropical rain forests.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

For Aspiring Scientists A handful of titles will appeal to the scientifically inclined. The Living Rainforest: An Animal Alphabet by Paul Kratter (Butterfly Count; River Discoveries) allows a look at the habitat's creatures from A to Z, including unusual examples of otherwise familiar animals (the Amazon River dolphin and Sumatran rhinoceros) as well as more exotic ones, such as the red-and-green feathered "resplendent quetzal." Featuring creatures from Africa to South America to Australia, Kratter's precise illustrations accompany informative text that brims with animal facts their binomial nomenclature, approximate size and a glossary of terms. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.