The Animal Book

This informative guide features more than 100 species that inhabit the planet’s continents and oceans. Each creature gets a full page or spread; brief introductions are followed by small text blocks that address animal behavior, anatomy, ecosystems, and assorted notable facts (for example, pigeons can be trained to “spot cancer cells”). A pastel color scheme lets Cooper’s illustrations coexist, rather than compete, with photographs of animals and their habitats that appear throughout. It’s a thorough, detail-rich, continent-by-continent overview of Earth’s extraordinary biodiversity. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)