You can tell that Robin Michal Koontz, the author-illustrator of this book, has personal knowledge of the wildlife subjects she writes about. Each topic, from butterflies to birds to bats, gives children a wealth of information and plenty of projects to choose from. For example, kids can make a hummingbird feeder from an empty plastic bottle or draw a "family tree" of all the animals that use a tree for food or shelter. The sidebars provide fascinating information, such as the fact that many birds pick up ants and tuck them under their wings, so that the ants can deter lice, mites, and other annoying pests. I highly recommend this book - parents as well as kids can learn from it.

- Barbara Gregorich