Stonehouse, B. and Bertram, E. (2004). How animals live. New York: Scholastic Inc.
If you are interested in animals this non-fiction, illustrated, biological informational, book is the book for you! Throughout this book's five chapters you will learn things like "Starting Out in Life - Strange Beginnings", "Sharing", and "Defenses - Keep Away", just to name a few. This wonderfully illustrated book gives facts and information about creatures great and small that live in different habitats.
The illustrations by John Francis exhibit many different uses of artistic media such as painting, drawings, and some digital art. The realistic illustrations of the animals are colorful and vibrant and would easily hold children's attention. The doublespread page design of this book helps the animals come to life on the page, and the hardcover binding helps it last through the several readings it is sure to have if it is put on your classroom bookshelf. The back matter of the book contains a glossary that helps to make it easy for the children to look up scientific terms that they may not understand.
The illustrations would make this book fun for all ages, but the text of this book is more for students ages 9-12. This book would be very useful in science class during a unit on animals, but I think students would find it engaging at any time during the school year.
