Gr 2-4-Clear photographs and enticing layouts distinguish these series entries. In addition, the informative texts that cover habitats, life cycles, and threats to these creatures are enhanced by the quality of their sound-bite sidebars and captions. Giant Panda includes other animals that at times overshadow its main focus, and the discussion of the food chain is oversimplified. However, these flaws stand out only because the remainder of the book is well done. Discussions of scent marking and mating as well as pictures of pandas in threatening postures lend a realistic tone. Polar Bear's photos include a picture of an injured cub and another of two animals around a mostly eaten seal, complete with bloody ribs and offal. Virginia Harrison and Martin Banks's The World of Polar Bears (Gareth Stevens, 1989; o.
