THE ASTONISHING ARMADILLO

In her first juvenile, Stuart offers an unusually engaging portrait of the adaptable nine-banded armadillo—which over the last hundred years has expanded its range from the Mexican border as far as Missouri and South Carolina. Neither an endangered species nor a pest, the armadillo recommends itself—aside from its fascinating and unique behavior—as a consumer of insects and a contributor to medical research (like humans, they can develop Hansen's disease). Writing simply but without condescension, Stuart enlivens details of appearance, behavior, and life cycle with vivid language suggesting her affection for these sturdy, armored little mammals (armadillos ``venture'' from their burrows to ``shuffle,'' ``trundle,'' ``ramble,'' ``snuffle,'' and ``probe''). Attractive color photos on every page are a fine complement to the lucid text. An excellent addition to the ``Nature Watch'' series. Glossary; index. (Nonfiction. 8-12)