Editorial Review
Booklist Review of Wild About Cats!
The facts packed into the Wild about Cats! series are not “kitten”around! Each work provides an easy introduction to a big cat throughits most unique attributes and habits, followed by hunting behaviorsand child-rearing activities. Each title notes the vulnerability status ofthe designated cat population and compares size to that of a common house cat for easy reference. These leveled readers use challengingvocabulary, accompanied by simple sentence structure and vivid photographs related to each subject throughout the work. The vulnerableanimals covered in Cheetahs are revered as the fastest land mammals,residing in the savannas and mountains; males flock in small groupscalled coalitions and females live alone (with the exception of thosewith cubs). In Jaguars, the similarly spotted felines are noted as wetland, grassland, and rainforest residing cats, with a near-threatenedvulnerability status. They’re recognized for having impressive retract-able claws and being solitary creatures prone to marking their territory.The focus of Lions is a social creature living with prides in grasslands,open woodlands, and thick brush areas south of the Sahara Desert.Also featuring retractable claws, they are far more reliant on members of the pride to collaborate on hunting and defense. Tigers featuresthe endangered striped cats that reside in Asia, utilize webbed toes forswimming and hunting, and are known to be the largest cat species.The works conclude with a glossary for more complex terms, index,additional reading resources, and a plug for Bellweather’s database,Factsurfer. Sure to be an essential resource for curious young readersready to learn more about big felines.