Dianne Young (1)

A great book! Easily memorized and the children read right along with it! It's fun to see how they imagine it is going to turn out on the first reading. This is in my top 5 favorite children's books of all times! It's great for that child whose mom is going to have a baby. Whill your baby have purple hair? The pictures are also fabulous telling their own story as it goes. The pages before the story begins (title page, etc...) sets a stage for the rest of the book. This is a book that both words and pictures must be looked at to see how great it really is!… (meer)

A World of Difference uses colour photographs and short descriptions to illustrate the differences between very similar pairs of animals (dolphins and porpoises, rabbits and hares, bobcats and Canada lynxes, as well as several others). Each page includes a colour photograph and one or two key identifying features to help differentiate between the animal look-alikes. Some trivia about the featured animals is also provided (e.g. "Another name for elk is wapiti, a Native American word meaning "white rump"). An index is also included.

The book is clearly laid out with attractive photographs. The design is crisp, colourful, and inviting. There is just enough information provided so young children can make a positive identification of a particular critter, but not so much that they are likely to be overwhelmed with details. The book encourages careful observation and fosters an appreciation of the subtle adaptive differences seen in different species.
(Review originally published in the Canadian Book Review Annual)… (meer)