cover image Habitats: Where the Wild Things Live

Habitats: Where the Wild Things Live

Randi Hacker. Avalon Travel Publishing, $9.95 (45pp) ISBN 978-1-56261-060-9

In the upbeat, snappy manner of Muir's Extremely Weird series, this deceptively casual book packs serious reference material for would-be ecologists who seek an overview of 10 of earth's wild habitats. While focusing on the interconnections of plant and animal life within ecosystems such as ponds, rivers, deserts and prairies, the dense yet inviting text rejects formula and examines each habitat from different perspectives. The result is a profusion of information webs. Vibrantly colored illustrations prove both decorative and instructive in themselves. The chapters' ending sections--``What You Can Do''--tend to fluctuate between predictable recommendations (join conservation agencies, clean up pollution, write congressional members) and impassioned exhortations (``Write the governor of Idaho and ask him to make sure that the sockeye salmon does not become extinct''). Overall, however, this energetic book responds to timely issues and answers the call for scientific information. Ages 8-12. (Nov.)