My Life as an Emperor Penguin
(My Life Cycle)

Gr 1-2--Beautifully expressive illustrations display the life cycles of featured organisms from seed or birth into adulthood and continuing life. Each title works to bridge emerging readers through a mix of picture book art styles and richer sentence structures found in early chapter books. Readers step into each life to see how the subject is born, eats, and grows over time with a stylized titular host leading the way. The peeks inside acorns and eggs as they grow are fascinating. VERDICT Elementary aged students will delight in the familiar style and amusing characters, while educators will enjoy the ease with which these titles introduce the building blocks of life.