--SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, December 1995 Wonderfully whimsical fun combines with a little information to make an entertaining nonfiction selection. From the frilled lizard of Australia/New Guinea to the capped langur of Southeast Asia to the masked duck of South America, each of the animals featured in this worldwide representation has two things in common: its unusual name and its endangered status. The left side of each two-page spread is devoted to humorous illustrations of related species of the featured animal; the right side is devoted to a realistic portrayal and description of the featured species. For example, on one left-hand page, four kinds of crabs (ghost, blue, hermit, and rock) are shown playing musical instruments. The caption reads "Any crab can make music"; on the right-hand page, beneath the heading ". but there's only one fiddler crab," there is an accurate picture and a paragraph about its habits and habitat. The warm-toned, pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations do not sacrifice accuracy, even when being silly. World-map endpapers and a glossary attractively ringed by miniatures of the creatures described round out the presentation.

Expect to hear giggles from the stacks. --SMITHSONIAN, Notable Books for Children 1995 Flying foxes to frilled lizards, a lively, informative bestiary, complete with habitat map and glossary. Junior naturalists will be taking their flashlights to bed to pore over this title. The illustrator of October 30, 1995.