Stewart, Melissa. Salamander or Lizard? : How Do You Know?

Stewart, Melissa.     Salamander or Lizard? : How Do You Know?          

Enslow            2011   24p     16.00    978-0-7660-3679-6

 elem               Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  VG-BNes         ╥Text and

photographs describe the physical characteristics of salamanders and lizards and

explain how to tell the difference between the two.╙      Elementary school

students who enjoy reptiles and amphibians will enjoy this new title comparing a

salamander to a lizard.  Students are presented with a short list of words to

know, then presented with fantastic vibrant, color photographs of various

lizards and salamanders.  Written in an easy-to-comprehend style, the author

describes the differences between salamanders and lizards.  Students learn that

salamanders are amphibians that live in the water when young, and most adult

salamanders live on the land in moist places.  Lizards are reptiles who spend

their entire lifetime on the land, usually in warm, dry places.  Salamanders

have smooth, soft skin, while lizards have dry, scaly skin.  Most salamanders

have four toes on their front feet, five toes on their back feet.  Lizards have

five toes on both their front and back toes.  The differences in the way each of

the animals lay their eggs vary too, as salamanders lay soft eggs in the water

and lizards lay hard eggs on the land.  While young salamanders start life as a

tadpole in the water, lizards live on the land and act like their parents.

Includes great color photographs, words to know, recommended books and web sites,

and an index. Each title in this series compares two animals.  Animals being

compared are:  butterfly/moth, alligator/crocodile, salamander/lizard,

insect/spider, frog/toad,  and shark/dolphin.       Forba-Mayer, Charleen

Stewart, Melissa Butterfly or moth? : how do you know?

Stewart, Melissa        Butterfly or moth? : how do you know?    

Enslow            2011   24p   21.26    978-0-7660-3678-9           

elem                Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  VG-BNes        

Colorful photos and concise text help young readers to identify the

differences between butterflies and moths.          Highly magnified, color photos

highlight this clearly written and informative volume on butterflies and moths. 

Each characteristic is explored in a two page spread, with a photo of a

butterfly on the left and a moth on the right. The narrative text is concise and

to the point, without oversimplifying the facts presented.  At the end of the

volume, the facing pages contain diagrams, summarizing the differences between

the species, with a photo of each in the middle.  Then, just for fun, strange

and little known facts about each species is appended.

The glossary appears as ╥Words to know,╙ and is placed at the beginning of the

volume to give students needed background to help decode and understand the text. 

At the end, bibliographical references and an index complete the volume.      This

book is part of the Which Animal is Which? series.  The series consists of 6

books at this time.  The focus of the series is to explain the differences

between similar and often mistakenly misidentified species.     Naismith, Pat

Stewart, Melissa Insect or Spider?

Stewart, Melissa        Insect or Spider?      

Enslow            2011   24p     21.26  978-0-7660-3681-9

elem                Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  VG-BNes        

Explains how to differentiate between insects and arachnids.                Differentiating

between insects and arachnids (spiders) can be challenging for youngsters. 

Rather than lumping them together under the heading, ╥bugs,╙ Stewart compares

and contrasts key features that differentiate the groups, and large, colorful

double-page photographs further underscore these features.  Most insects and

spiders are depicted life size or larger-than-life-size so details are vivid. 

The majority of  photographs are taken at eye level.  Those individuals

squeamish or phobic about spiders and insects may find this distressing, but the

eye-catching, detailed pictures will fascinate others for hours.  The

photographs capture the delicate tracery in the membrane of a dragonfly╒s wings,

the short, sharp needle of a honey bee’s stinger, and the hoary mandibles of a

Goliath bird-eating spider.   

          Subject-specific vocabulary terms are defined in a glossary at the

very beginning of the text, which facilitates comprehension as the terms are

encountered later in the book.  The text is brief, to-the-point, and matter-of-

fact.  It contains basic facts, as well as some interesting ╥factoids╙ (did you

know that scientists don’t know if or how spiders can smell? or that some

insects eat plastic?).  A summary of traits at the end of the text is

accompanied by clear photographs in a colorful page layout.   Welliver, Hilary

Stewart, Melissa Shark or Dolphin?: how do you know?

Stewart, Melissa        Shark or Dolphin?: how do you know?      

Enslow            2011   24p   21.26    978-0-7660-3680-2           

elem                Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  E-BNes           

Item by item this text gives the differences between sharks and dolphins. 

Very clearly presented, well illustrated, and great for young children.

            Posing the question, ╥Can you tell the difference between a shark and a

dolphin?╙, this text proceeds to show the differences in simple yet very clear

terms.  It shows that a shark is a fish, a dolphin is a mammal.  Therefore the

shark gets oxygen from the water and a dolphin breathes air.  It shows the

differences between a tail and a fluke, scales and skin, gills and lungs,

whether the baby being called a pup or a calf and how the mother does or does

not take care of the baby, and whether they hunt by smell or sound.  Then all

the differences are summed up in a comparison chart.   

   The photography is beautiful and  very clearly illustrates the point being

made on each page.  The photography and the format will entice children and will

clearly answer their questions.  This is a wonderful addition to every

elementary school library.   There are five titles in the series which helps

young children see the differences between sets of similar animals.  

Theal, Joan

Stewart, Melissa Frog or Toad?

Stewart, Melissa        Frog or Toad?           

Enslow            2011   24p     21.26  978-0-7660-3682-6

elem                Which Animal is Which? (Enslow)  VG-BNes         Students often

have trouble identifying similar animals.  This book clearly illustrates and

describes the principal differences between frogs and toads     Frog or Toad is

clearly organized, informative and pictorially supportive of the text,making

this a handy tool for elementary school teachers in a literacy class or in a

science class.   Not only does this book contain all of the aforementioned

features, it also teaches several text structures for the study of nonfiction. 

For example, the concept of compare/contrast is directly instructed on every 2-

page spread, with the frog on the left side and the toad on the right.  Another

text structure which jumps off the pages is the concept of cause and effect,

especially when author Melissa Stewart shows that the frog╒s strong back legs

support its jumping and swimming whereas the toad╒s short back legs enable it to

take small hops only.  A resourceful elementary teacher will use this entire set

of books to show how closely related creatures have evolved to meet the needs of

an entire population, especially on the pages where she compares the frog╒s

upper teeth to the toad╒s absence of teeth.  An extra feature at the end of the

book presents a circular graphic organizer which creatively summarizes all of

the new information for the student.  The book ends with pictures of unique

frogs and toads, a section entitled, ╥Learn More╙ and a list of Web Sites to

consult for additional information.             ╥Which Animal is Which╙ compares the

frog and toad,  the butterfly and moth, the insect and spider, the salamander

and lizard, and the shark and dolphin.  A variety of characteristics of two

similar animals are contrasted & supported by pictures and a summary of

information.   Squaresky, Martha