The latest in the About . . . series casts the spotlight on an often-overlooked group—the mollusks. This beginner’s guide teaches readers in small, digestible bits, giving one to two sentences of facts per page in simple language. Sill presents the basic facts—mollusks have soft bodies with no bones and grow from eggs—but she also makes the diversity of the group apparent. Some have shells, some are shell-less; some live on land, most in the water; some are predators, while some eat vegetation. The author’s afterword is a wonderful resource, showing a thumbnail of each illustration, fleshing out the fact given on the page, and giving more information about the featured mollusk. Don’t skip this—it gives some of the work’s most interesting facts. For instance, “Common Violet Snails blow bubbles that harden and make a raft.” They can then ride the raft on the ocean surface and find food. Vibrant watercolor illustrations vividly portray the colors and textures of the animals and their habitats and are a good mix of commonly known and unusual mollusks. A good beginning text about this unique group. (bibliography, Web sites) (Nonfiction. 3-7)
