MAKING ANIMAL BABIES

Continuing the story of Animal Dads (1997), artist Steve Jenkins provides more striking paper collages while author Sneed Collard III pens a brief text, which includes some sophisticated biology about asexual and sexual reproduction in animals. Several unusual forms of asexual reproduction are included, for example: budding, splitting, breaking, and stacking. Sexual reproduction begins with a discussion of eggs and sperm, then shows some of the techniques animals use to attract a mate: sporting bright colors, fighting, flashing, and nest-building. The final section describes embryos developing in eggs and in the mother's womb. Usually the author provides a line of text in large type for younger readers, which is expanded in a paragraph in small type appearing elsewhere on the page. Unlike with Animal Dads, where younger children could read the illustrations, emerging readers will have more trouble here. The publishers recommend ages four through eight, but most sections would be more useful for middle-grade students, as the picture-book format will discourage browsing. Paper collages are handsome, though the layout—which poses an animal on every page, each on a different colored background, and none made to scale—is distracting. For example, the bower bird is shown page left, building his next; while page right shows two enormous night-lit fireflies, each as large as the bird. The author concludes with a glossary of science terms. Though interesting, this not as successful as past collaborations. (Nonfiction. 8-10)