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The four nonfiction books in the Do You Know …? series (originally published in French) teach children about toads, chameleons, crocodiles and spiders.
Facts about each animal are illustrated with humorous cartoon characters communicating through speech bubbles. The last two pages include an index and a glossary of definitions. There are no photographs in this series.
American, Gharial and sea crocodiles feature in Do You Know Crocodiles?. The majority of the information in this selection covers diet and juvenile crocodiles.
Do You Know Toads? contains information about appearance and defense (Toad warts are made up of glands which secrete a foul, bad-tasting poison that repels predators). The authors dispel myths (toads can’t actually spread warts to humans), describe diet, habitat, reproduction, growth, and life span. Frogs are mentioned only once. The few people that do appear in the illustrations resemble fairy tale characters.
Do You Know Spiders? focuses on the difference between spiders that spin webs and those that hunt without webs. Several facts deal with spiders’ homes and their venom. The arachnids in these illustrations wear clothes and behave more like humans than spiders.
Do You Know Chameleons? has a variety of color and camouflage facts (chameleons lose their colors when they are scared, relaxing, or digesting). Humans are seen as the enemy because of how they destroy their environment and sell chameleons for pets.
These books will be a hit with nature lovers. The facts are intended to enlighten and fascinate the reader.
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