My Nose Is Long and Fuzzy (Anteater)

April 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Simple vocabulary and concise sentences make this series accessible, while the guessing-game format gives it panache. Each book begins with a brightly colored photo on the cover that reveals only the body part from the title. The opening spread reminds readers to look at each body part (eyes, teeth, ears, etc.), and a short sentence or two describes the mystery animal part by part, spread by spread. Finally, the mystery animal is uncovered at the end. A superimposed jigsaw outline reinforces visual skills, both emphasizing and obscuring animal parts. The highlighted animals are not the standard early-elementary fare (among the offerings are lemurs, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters), adding to the suspense and building curiosity. Additional features include a facts table and a map. This series will leave young readers wanting more-not a bad thing when it comes to developing reading skills.

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2014
Preschool-K The concept of gradually revealing bits of an animal for readers to guess about the whole has gotten a lot of traction in recent years, and this entry in the Zoo Clues series does it as well as anyone. Graphically, the main addition is a jigsaw-puzzle grid overlaying each two-page illustration with key pieces missing. It's not the same grid page to page, so there's no real unfolding visual narrative. Still, even with the somewhat obscuring lines of the puzzle pieces, the idea works. The brief text, meanwhile, serves as the animal's boasts: My claws are sharp and curved. I have stiff hairs on my back. Being that this is (spoiler) a giant anteater, the tell-tale, and fairly alarming, clue is a very long pink tongue. Simple stuff, but effective in directing attention to detail.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)