Animal Mouths

In this companion to Holland’s Animal Eyes (2014), photographs and concise text examine the mouths belonging to hawks, butterflies, beavers, weasels, and other creatures. The layout is bare-bones, with white text dropped inelegantly onto the images, but Holland takes care to identify the 12 animals she photographs, while introducing pertinent vocabulary (molars, prey) and some enticing trivia (robber flies “use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to drink the [liquified] insides of their prey”). While nicely shot and framed, the photographs do a mixed job of actually showcasing the animals’ mouths; supplemental images of certain animals’ skulls help compensate, and back matter provides additional information, activities, and resources. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)