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*Do You Know the Rhinoceros?* by Alain Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar - beginning readers book review
Also by Alain M. Bergeron:
Do You Know Tigers
Do You Know Crocodiles?
Do You Know Toads?
Do You Know Spiders?
Do You Know Chameleons?
Do You Know Rats?
Do You Know Porcupines?
Do You Know Crows?
Do You Know Leeches?

 
Also illustrated by Michel Quintin:
Do You Know Tigers
Do You Know Crocodiles?
Do You Know Toads?
Do You Know Spiders?
Do You Know Chameleons?
Do You Know Rats?
Do You Know Porcupines?
Do You Know Crows?
Do You Know Leeches?

 
Also illustrated by Sampar:
Do You Know Tigers
Do You Know Crocodiles?
Do You Know Toads?
Do You Know Spiders?
Do You Know Chameleons?
Do You Know Rats?
Do You Know Porcupines?
Do You Know Crows?
Do You Know Leeches?

 
Do You Know the Rhinoceros?
by Alain Bergeron, Michel Quintin and Sampar
Ages 7-10 64 pages Fitzhenry and Whiteside August 2015 Paperback    

These are fun books (Do You Know...? series) because animal facts are paired with humorous comics. It’s a good contrast.

The facts are serious (Black rhinoceros are one of the few species that eat thorny vegetation. They crush and swallow thorns as long as 10 centimeters [3.9 inches] in length without any problems). The drawings of them are the opposite. (There is a picture of a rhinoceros using an outhouse. He looks to be in pain as he says, “Ouch! The problem isn’t swallowing them!”)

The rhinoceros are realistic-looking in color, appearance and size, but they wear clothes and hats. Sometimes they behave as a rhino would (mud baths, walking around with an oxpecker on his back), but most of the scenes have them doing things we would do such as playing hockey, reading the newspaper, driving a car, and going to the doctor.

There is no story, only facts. They cover topics such as number of different species, the meaning of the name, habitat, mating rituals, composition of the horn, diet, weight, life span, and gestation.

The last eight pages talk about poaching and how reserves are trying to protect the endangered animal. Back material has a ten-word glossary and a small index. There is no table of contents, bibliography or references.

This would be a useful book for school projects or for children looking for general but wide-ranging information about the rhinoceros. And because the illustrations cover most of the page, it might be suitable for reluctant readers who do not like a lot of text.
 
Beginning readers book reviews for developing, emerging and fluent readers

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  Tanya Boudreau/2015 for curled up with a good kid's book  






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