Animal Fact File [Paperback]

Imagine an owner's manual for an automobile or a washing machine, its pages studded with exploded diagrams of pistons and ducts. Transfer this model to the animal kingdom, and you have this unusual, richly descriptive catalog of animals from aardvark to wombat, ranging from the common (the hedgehog, opossum, and rat) to the exceedingly rare (Przhevalski's horse, the snow leopard). Each of these animals enjoys an oversized, two-page spread that includes several illustrations. For the Tasmanian devil, for example, color diagrams depict the marsupial carnivore's complex dentition, the shape of its paws and claws, and the musculature of its massive lower jaw; for the greater horseshoe bat, the illustrations include portraits of relatives such as the false vampire bat and mouse-tailed bat, along with a complete skeletal chart. Each entry includes notes on natural history, range, and habitat, along with measurements and characteristic features. Budding zoologists will enjoy leafing through these pages, which make for a nice artists' reference and an inviting coffee-table book as well. --Gregory McNamee

Grade 4-8-A mix of fascinating information and surprising omissions and contradictions. The clear and sensible format presents an alphabetical guide to mammals from aardvarks to wombats. The full-color illustrations are excellent. Pictures show external and internal views of the animals as a whole and highlight distinctive body parts. Interesting comparison drawings abound; for example, the dromedary nose is compared to that of a bactrian camel. And there is, for every entry, an easy reference chart giving the mammal's classification, size, coloration, and features. Here is where the confusion starts. On page one, the author discusses the orders of mammals and presents a chart that lists the scientific names of typical species. On this page, the elephant is listed as a Macroscelidea and a Proboscidea. On the elephant page, neither of these classifications appears. Its genus is given as Loxodonta and its species is africana. Then, on the last page, another chart shows the elephant as a member of the Proboscidea genus. There is no explanation of what the scientific name is as compared to the genus and species. To add to the confusion, occasionally two animals appear on the same page. For instance, on the aardvark page, the hyrax is featured as well. But there's no chart about the hyrax, no explanation of how it is related to the aardvark (if, indeed, it is), and there is no hyrax entry in the book. Despite these shortcomings, the book provides a lot of easily accessed information in digestible bits.
Randi Hacker, Montgomery Elementary School, VT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"This book provides juvenile readers with an excellent overview of the animal kingdom. Profiles of over 90 different types of mammals allow youngsters to easily see the differences between each creature--from the largest whale to the tiniest shrew. . . .Although it is aimed at young researchers interested in learning more about animals around the world, its enticing format and interesting facts make it fascinating reading for all ages." --Jo-Anne Mary Benson -- Nature Canada, Fall 1999

This is the perfect all-in-one book covering natures furry friends. -- Parenting Plus, December 1999

Animal Factfile is a visual guide to the most important and most

interesting anatomical peculiarities of the world's most irresistible animals.

This collection gives children a rare opportunity to explore such animal-lover's delights as a gorilla's footprint, a dolphin's blowhole, a hippo's ears, or the bottom

of an elephant's foot at a glance.

Generous two-page spreads exhibit each mammal's physiology right down to the bone, with x-ray views of their skeletons and skull structure. Side-by-side comparisons pinpoint characteristics that distinguish each mammal from similar species, as well as their scale in relation to humans. Each full-color spread also features a fact file providing biological classification, size, coloration, and more.

For ages 10 and up.