Panda

Series Review: The sheer variety that exists among nature and its inhabitants is on full display in the “Spotlight on Nature” series (8 titles), which follows different animals through their life cycles. Featuring striking photographs and with material pleasingly laid out against crisp white backgrounds, these oversized volumes open with the birth of an animal, outline the challenges they face growing up, and explore their habitats and abilities. Human influence is most visible in Panda, which investigates the difficult birth and life of the giant panda and the conservation measures put in place to help it survive. The volumes that feature multiple species (Dolphin and Eagle especially) could have benefited from labels on their images, but the information in each is strong and presented clearly and accessibly. Each book contains a “featured family,” and the text is interspersed with anecdotes, while a time line of growth milestones runs along the bottom. Clear and concise.