Animal Tails
★★★★
Red pandas, pangolins, monkeys, and alligators – oh my! The National Geographic Kids Reader, Animal Tails gives a fascinating introduction to many different animals and the many uses of their tails! This You Read, I Read Level 1 Early Reader includes two-page spreads with the You Read page on the left and the I Read page on the right. Each spread provides ample opportunity for context and knowledge building on the You Read side while giving early readers the chance to practice new vocabulary on the I Read side. Sentences are appropriately leveled using primarily sight words with the repetition of a new word introduced on the You Read page.
Striking photographs of animals in action provide a window into the world of tails. Of particular interest will be the photograph of a kangaroo walking on its short arms and tail, the action shot of the lemurs about to fight, and the image of the pangolin that requires a label to distinguish the tail. While most photographs support and provide context for the text, there are some missed opportunities where another photograph could have expanded better on the ideas presented in the text.
Keywords are bolded throughout the text and include a variety of themes based on the chapters. Chapter 1: Why Tails includes many new animal names: peacocks, opossums, coatis, and pangolin. Chapter 2: Going Places introduces habitats: pond, rainforest, reef, plains, and river. Chapter 3: Tail Talk focuses on how tails look: curled, flat, colorful, and striped. Chapter 4: Staying Safe brings the action: protects, swats, sting, store, and sheds. Two of the four Your Turn pages that follow the chapters helpfully review the vocabulary covered in those chapters. It would have been helpful to have vocabulary reviewed in all four Your Turn chapters, but the most disappointing part is the failure to include a glossary in the back.
4 STARS - RECOMMENDED (K-2):
An excellent introduction to tails, but there are missed opportunities to support readers with more visual context and a glossary. There is a typographical error on one of the I Read pages which is disappointing on a page with such little text.
Reviewed by Melissa A.