cover image My Favorite Animal Families

My Favorite Animal Families

David Henry Wilson, photos by Steve Bloom, Thames & Hudson (Norton, dist.), $19.95 (64p) ISBN 978-0-500-54390-0

Readers for whom the grass is always greener can compare their lives to those of 14 animal families, including cheetahs, giraffes, gorillas, hippos, and seals. Though the book's boxy layout is uninspiring, Bloom's photographs are mesmerizing, featuring adult and baby animals feeding, sleeping, and on the move. Wilson packs a lot of animal facts into the text, as well as many reader-directed questions ("Would you like to hold onto your mother's hair while she swings through the trees?") and light jokes that, in tandem with the photos, will keep kids engaged. All ages. (Sept.)