Skeletons: An Inside Look at Animals

In this handsomely designed oversize volume, Gray's meticulously rendered animal skeletons almost appear to be 3-D-and ready to spring from the glossy black pages. Johnson's concise and carefully researched descriptions of the 18 creatures (including the human) profiled here include notes on physical characteristics, habits, habitats and-most pertinently-the ways in which bones and other body parts are used. Her straightforward text contains numerous little-known facts: because water supports a blue whale's weight, its skeleton is surprisingly light; and a penguin's tail has many bones, which keep it stiff and capable of propping up a penguin standing on land. Other animals spotlighted include the green turtle, Nile crocodile, red kangaroo, elephant seal, moose and three-toed sloth. On each spread, a silhouette of an adult human alongside the animal in focus puts the creature's size in immediate perspective. Johnson's frequent cross-references comparing the species also help clarify her data. A glossary rounds out this substantial book. Ages 7-up. Children's BOMC main selection. (Sept.)