The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, Fine Feathered Friends, All About Birds
AED 50
Kindergarten-Grade 2-These books aim to introduce beginning readers to basic concepts in an entertaining manner. The author employs familiar characters from Dr. Seuss’s “Cat in the Hat” titles to present information showing the diverse range of birds and mammals. The manic parade of rhyming facts, however, is confusing and contrived.
The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, Fine Feathered Friends, All About Birds
Bee hummingbirds, ostriches, flycatchers, chickadees, and bald eagles! Dick and Sally find themselves on a bird-watching tour led by the Cat in the Hat. After a quick lesson on just exactly what a bird is, they go motoring around the world to observe our fine feathered friends in their natural habitats. Time flies, and soon it’s late, but the Cat saves the day by shifting his vehicle into Fine Feather All-Weather Flying Machine mode and winging Dick and Sally back home.
Kindergarten-Grade 2-These books aim to introduce beginning readers to basic concepts in an entertaining manner. The author employs familiar characters from Dr. Seuss’s “Cat in the Hat” titles to present information showing the diverse range of birds and mammals. The manic parade of rhyming facts, however, is confusing and contrived. Fine Feathered Friends is annoyingly superficial. In Is a Camel a Mammal?, a number of examples prove that mammals come in all sizes, live in many types of environments, and have various eating habits. Two basic facts, however, are mentioned in the glossary but not in the text: that mammal babies feed on their mothers’ milk, and that they have backbones. In both books, the cartoon illustrations fail to distinguish among the many creatures. Series such as “Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science” (HarperCollins), “Read and Wonder” (Candlewick), and Jim Arnosky’s “Crinkleroot” books (S & S) are all better choices.
Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
