Solitary Animals: Introverts of the Wild

Many titles acquaint readers with terms of venery, but this book additionally celebrates the fact that not all species appreciate a crowd. While a water hole attracts "a parade of elephants" and "dazzle of zebras," writes Stein (The Invisible Alphabet), "the panther arrives by herself. The panther is a solitary animal." The octopus, the sloth, and the eagle share this solidarity of solitariness, and their far-from-lonely lives--the sloth exudes contentment, the octopus is playfully balletic, the bald eagle keenly observes the world beneath her--should be assuring, even profound, to children who similarly prefer their own company or treasure moments of alone time. And human introverts and extroverts alike will connect with debut artist Ramsey's radiant digital animal portraits: iridescent hummingbirds dance around a bright red hibiscus, while the sleek, prowling panther shimmers in tones of purple, black, and pink, its glowing eyes piercing the darkness. An eye-catching affirmation of singular over plural. Back matter provides additional background, covering survival and instinct. Ages 3-5. (Nov.)

PreS-Gr 1--This picture book highlights a random assortment of solitary animals. Groups of animals are highlighted and the appropriate collective noun used to describe them. For example, a "tower of giraffes" is juxtaposed with the solitary jaguar. Hummingbirds are a "charm," but eagles fly solo. Little more is explained about individual animals, and there is the odd switch, when a "swarm of swallows" is then called a gulp. Except for the alliteration, this will confuse readers. Brilliantly colored digital illustrations of the individual animals are sometimes realistic and sometimes less so. Very simple text introduces each animal and their collective nouns. The beauty of the illustrations could provide a jumping-off point to exploring individual animals in greater detail and could encourage a discussion of collective names. In addition, students could explore the details of why some animals live in groups and some do not. VERDICT With lovely illustrations and a variety of animal collective nouns, this book is meant for browsing.--Susan Lissim