A whole flock of books from Animal Planet

Sharks! (Animal Planet Chapter Books #1)

by Animal Planet (Author), Lori Stein (Author)

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: 1 - 5

Lexile Measure: 830

Series: Animal Planet Chapter Books (Book 1)

Hardcover: 112 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (October 18, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618931849

ISBN-13: 978-1618931849

Publisher’s Blurb:

Animal Planet introduces information-packed nonfiction chapter books that are just right for pleasure reading and schoolwork.

Dive inside the world of sharks with this guide to the most incredible creatures in the sea. Photographically illustrated chapters highlight kid-favorite species such as Great Whites and Hammerheads, with a focus on behavior, senses, breeding, and feeding. Sharks! is the perfect overview for developing readers ready to explore this popular animal subject on their own. Special features include full-color photography throughout, "Meet the Scientist" sidebars, and "In Your Newsfeed" articles about amazing new discoveries.

Dinosaurs! (Animal Planet Chapter Books #2)

by Lori Stein and Animal Planet

Age Range: 7 - 10 years

Grade Level: 1 - 5

Lexile Measure: 830

Series: Animal Planet Chapter Books (Book 2)

Hardcover: 112 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (October 18, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618931857

ISBN-13: 978-1618931856

Publisher’s Blurb:

Animal Planet introduces information-packed nonfiction chapter books that are just right for pleasure reading and schoolwork.

Take a trip back in history and visit the incredible creatures that once dominated life on Earth. Profiles of popular dinosaurs, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Velociraptor, are interspersed with chapters on how dinosaurs ate, slept, and lived. Kids ready to flex their reading muscles can take dino learning to the next level with Dinosaurs!. Special features include full-color photography throughout, "Meet the Scientist" sidebars, and "In Your Newsfeed" articles about new discoveries in the world of paleontology.

Strange, Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals (An Animal Planet Book)  

by Animal Planet (Author), Charles Ghigna (Author)

Age Range: 8 - 11 years

Grade Level: 3 - 7

Lexile Measure: 1000

Hardcover: 128 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (October 11, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618931660

ISBN-13: 978-1618931665

Publisher’s Blurb:

Animal Planet presents the ickiest, stickiest, blobbiest, and oddest animals in the world!

Did you know that an archerfish can spit water up to 16 feet? Or that the giant weta is the world's largest and heaviest insect? Animal Planet's fascinating exploration of animal oddities introduces young animal lovers to some of the most astonishing, gorgeous, and obscure animals in the world-including some brand new discoveries! Packed with more than 200 vibrant photographs and fun facts about animals with unusual behaviors, strange appearances, and remarkable stats, this deluxe gift book is perfect for reluctant readers or anyone who loves totally gross and amazing animals.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of books in the Animal Bites series benefits the principal partners of R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.), Animal Planet's initiative dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Animal Atlas (An Animal Planet Book)

by Animal Planet (Author), James Buckley Jr (Author)

Age Range: 7 - 10 years

Grade Level: 1 - 5

Lexile Measure: 1000

Hardcover: 96 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (May 24, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618931652

ISBN-13: 978-1618931658

Publisher’s Blurb:

Animal Planet's definitive atlas of animal life takes readers on a continent-by-continent and habitat-by-habitat passport to adventure! Meet fierce snow leopards in the Tibetan mountains, giant helicopter damselflies in the rain forests of Central America, majestic eagles in the temperate forests of North America, and hundreds more fascinating creatures.

What is a habitat? How is the North Pole's animal life different from the South Pole's? How and why do animals adapt to their environment? Is a food web different from a food chain? Animal Planet Animal Atlas answers all these questions and more in a kid-friendly, accessible format that young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians will adore.

Through illustrated maps of every continent and its major biomes, full-color photographs of more than 200 animals, and illustrated animal travel guides presenting fun animal trivia, readers can track their favorite animals across the globe while learning about how animal habitats are affected by climate, food and water availability, migration, and human environmental impact. Additional special features throughout the book point out ways in which many animals on our planet share characteristics or behaviors with humans. "ROAR" sidebars discuss conservation and animal rescue efforts around the globe. R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) is Animal Planet's initiative dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Animal Planet Baby Animals (Animal Planet Animal Bites)

Dorothea DePrisco, Animal Planet

Age Range: 8 - 12 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3

Lexile Measure: 800

Series: Animal Bites

Flexibound: 80 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (March 7, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618931784

ISBN-13: 978-1618931788

Publisher’s Blurb:

With more than 200 adorable photos of baby animals and their families, there's serious "aw" factor on every page of Animal Planet Baby Animals. This fun addition to the Animal Bites series provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite animals. Arranged thematically with a focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about life cycles, feeding, play time, conservation, getting around, and much more. Special book features designed for this age group include simple infographics and 'All Grown Up' animal facts to help kids learn more about how young and adult animals differ-just like humans!

For more Animal Bites books, check out Animal Planet Ocean Animals, Animal Planet Polar Animals, Animal Planet Wild Animals, Animal Planet Farm Animals, and Animal Planet Animals on the Move.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of books in the Animal Bites series benefits the principal partners of R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.), Animal Planet's initiative dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Wild Animals (Animal Planet Animal Bites)

by Animal Planet (Author)

Age Range: 7 - 10 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3

Lexile Measure: 830

Series: Animal Bites

Flexibound: 80 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (June 21, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618934147

ISBN-13: 978-1618934147

Publisher’s Blurb:

With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of lions, giraffes, ibexes, flamingos, hippopotamuses, and many others, Animal Planet Wild Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite wild animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in the African savannah and Amazon rain forest.

For more Animal Bites books, check out Animal Planet Farm Animals, Animal Planet Polar Animals, and Animal Planet Ocean Animals.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Animal Planet's R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) campaign that partners with leading animal organization to make the world a better place for domestic and wild animals.

Farm Animals (Animal Planet Animal Bites)

by Animal Planet (Author)

Age Range: 7 - 10 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 3

Lexile Measure: 800

Series: Animal Bites

Flexibound: 80 pages

Publisher: Animal Planet (June 21, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1618934139

ISBN-13: 978-1618934130

Publisher’s Blurb:

With more than 200 gorgeous animal photos of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, llamas, and many others, Animal Planet Farm Animals is a fun, habitat-by-habitat guide that provides kids in the first years of schooling with the perfect bite-sized view of their favorite farm animals. Arranged thematically with focus on animal behavior and family relationships, young readers will explore sections about animal bodies, baby animals, food, play time, conservation and more. Special book features designed for this age group include Quick Bites sidebars with cool animal facts, simple infographics, and illustrated maps of life in on the farm and at the petting zoo.

For more Animal Bites books, check out Animal Planet Wild Animals, Animal Planet Polar Animals, and Animal Planet Ocean Animals.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Animal Planet's R.O.A.R. (Reach Out. Act. Respond.) campaign that partners with leading animal organization to make the world a better place for domestic and wild animals.

My Thoughts:

These books have a few key things in common: Beautiful photographs, up close and personal, and engaging text. The graphic design is modern and features sidebars, additional information, info graphics, and other “interrupters” that help to maintain the reader’s interest. This is readable non-fiction for elementary schoolers at its best, whether it’s the chapter books, the themed books, or the more encyclopedic ones.

My almost-10-year-old was especially captivated by Strange, Unusual, Gross, and Cool. It was perfect for her age group, which is so often interested in the…shall we say, unusual? The blob fish is a big favorite. Both this one and the Animal Atlas are also written at a slightly higher Lexile level, so are especially suited to the higher end of their suggested age range. But if a child can’t quite handle the text, never fear, because those images really are worth 1000 words.

Who might like these books:

            Animal lovers of whatever age. Anyone who likes to pass their time learning more about the amazing animals on our planet. Lovers of nature photography. Trivia fans.

Possible objectionable material:

            Ummm…the animals are naked? (Especially the naked mole rats!)

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing e-book advanced reader copies of all of these wonderful books.