Wild Horses (Our Wild World) - Hardcover

Gr. 2-4. Animals facing threats from human encroachment are featured in these offerings from the Our Wild World series. Prairie Dogs looks at critters considered a "keystone species" by scientists, linked to the survival of about 40 other species. Horse-lovers will gravitate to the doe-eyed bays on the cover of Wild Horses, which introduces readers to the scattered herds of mustangs still roaming the U.S. Both books spend a great deal of time on these animals' fascinating social systems, from the bands of mares led by a single stallion to prairie dog towns subdivided into "coteries." The prose is consistently clear and lively, although Lorbiecki's breathless marveling at prairie dogs' "language" of "chirks," yips, and other vocalizations may lead children to anthropomorphize more than is warranted. Sidebars, chirpily labeled "Funfacts," nicely break up the text, and glossy pages set off crisp photographs that will elicit exclamations of delight from browsers. Neither book has a bibliography, but both have a list of Web sites. For more titles, see the Series Roundup in this issue. Jennifer Mattson
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