Life of a Guinea Pig »

A simple introduction to the life cycle of this rodent that is a popular pet all around the world.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Large, easy-to-read texts are balanced by color photographs, some cropped into shapes, others bleeding off the page. Boxes contain related facts. The visual coverage of the animals' development varies from book to book. The photographs in the first title are the most complete in illustrating the chicken's growth from embryo to adult hen. The embryo inside the egg is shown at four different stages. A wet chick is pictured just after emerging from the egg. A chick is then shown in the fluffy-feathered stage, as well as growing the first adult feathers. Finally, the adult hen is pictured. Guinea Pig follows a similar pattern. However, there are fewer variations in the photos showing the development of the puppies, which are not shown immediately at birth, but presented as dry and fat and cute. Subsequent photos show little age change. While these titles will serve students writing brief reports, there is nothing to distinguish them from existing series that do the same job.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.