Great Migrations: Amazing Animal Journeys (National Geographic Readers Series)
Every year like clockwork, animals both big and small are driven by a natural instinct to move, in order to survive. On both land and sea, they fight the odds and the forces of nature to breed, feed, or lead and carry on for future generations. This reader is an introduction to the treacherous trek of the zebra, walrus, and Christmas Island red crab to overcome obstacles that include hungry cheetahs, stinging yellow crazy ants, and even their fellow species to make the often impossible...
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Every year like clockwork, animals both big and small are driven by a natural instinct to move, in order to survive. On both land and sea, they fight the odds and the forces of nature to breed, feed, or lead and carry on for future generations. This reader is an introduction to the treacherous trek of the zebra, walrus, and Christmas Island red crab to overcome obstacles that include hungry cheetahs, stinging yellow crazy ants, and even their fellow species to make the often impossible journey of their lives.
\ Children's Literature\ - Marilyn Courtot\ The National Geographic Channel offered a series titled "Great Migrations" and that in turn resulted in a number of early readers that are more like chapter books. As the note on the inside cover states "Children are naturally curious ....and curiosity is a powerful motivation for reading." Books like this one that provide easy to digest information with excellent full color photographs will answer questions and hopefully create readers. Migration is explained and three animals are featured in this title—zebras, red crabs, and walruses. A spread pictures a zebra and has labels for the major body parts. Interestingly zebras each have a different stripe pattern which is how parents and children recognize each other. In Botswana zebras make a 360 mile round trip moving for better food and water depending on the season. There are many other interesting facts about these animals and the hardships that they have faced and what people are doing to help protect the herds. The same format is followed for red crabs which migrate by the millions. Their journey is full of danger as they move from land to the sea to lay their eggs in the ocean water. Once again people have intervened to help the crabs by blocking off roads that they have to cross. A walrus is a huge animal that can live up to forty years. The ones in the Pacific Ocean migrate with the movement of the ice and a diagram shows their route. Baby walruses, called calves, are born on ice floes during the migration north. There are so many interesting facts about these animals that it is hard to believe. For example they can eat 4,000 clams in a day, their tusks have many uses including helping them move on land, digging ice holes and as protection. With global warming and a reduction in the ice floes no answer has surfaced to help these animals. There is a glossary and index, so young readers could use this book for research and reports. While targeted to young readers, this book would be of interest to most readers and could be used for older students not reading on grade level and also in classes where English is taught as a second language. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot\ \
