Book of Flight: 10 Record-Breaking Animals with Wings

Ten wildlife flight aficionados—fastest, strongest, best at hovering, etc.—are each presented in a “guess who” fashion. A blueprint-style spread offers clues (“Greyhound dogs and Olympic skiers break oodles of speed records. But I’m faster”) paired with a white-line illustration of the creature in question marked with facts about its physiology. Turn the page, and a full-color illustration reveals the name—“I am a white-throated needletail”—along with appealing text that incorporates fascinating facts (the Malayan colungo’s “kitelike patagium” helps it parachute). The engaging alternation of Brewster’s cool blue schematics and vivid, stylized illustrations accented with textural printing complements the clever format. As a bonus, the book offers a look at the varieties of flight that humans have mastered, an author’s note that briefly details how the flyers were chosen, as well as suggested further reading and a glossary of flight terms. Ages 5–8. [em](June) [/em]