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Young readers book reviews for ages 8 to 12 years old




*Tooth and Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators* by Jim Arnosky - middle grades book review
 
Also written and/or illustrated by Jim Arnosky:

Man Gave Names to All the Animals
Tooth and Claw: The Wild World of Big Predators
by Jim Arnosky
Ages 7-12 32 pages Sterling April 2014 Hardcover    

Jim Arnosky has captured the awe-inspiring characteristics of ten wild animals (lion, cheetah, jaguar, leopard, wolf, brown bear, polar bear, black bear, grizzly bear) and put them in his newest nature picture book.

After the author recalls his (or his friends’) encounters with the animals, he talks about the animals’ size, habitat, diet, history, physical features, and family. Appearing alongside the one-page narration are full-page paintings (and four fold-out pages) of the animal in their nature habitat and pencil drawings of their body, footprints, skeletons, teeth or claws.

The package reflects the theme of the contents. The book is large in size, the angry bear on the cover grabs your attention, and the information inside reflects the real animal because it is based on careful research and observation. Details include labels on the drawings, a two-page author note about the making of this book, and a long bibliography entitled “More About Big Carnivores.”

As I was reading and reviewing this book, questions popped into my head, such as how can you tell the difference between a leopard and a cheetah and a jaguar because they all have spots. I found the answer inside.

This book also cleared up misconceptions I had about these animals. Because of a sidebar, I learned when a jaguar is born with solid black fur, they are called black panthers. And because of the way the author presented the bear information, I immediately saw how they differ in size.

This book will remind the reader how stunningly powerful and beautiful wildlife can be and how sad it will be if they disappear, as some of them already are in different parts of the world.
 
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