Author Description

From Booklist Gr. 5^-8. Fabulous color photographs illustrate this well-written account of 15 of the biggest, fastest, and strongest members of the animal kingdom. The authors use the language of sports to highlight the creatures' incredible athletic abilities ("The Cheetah needs to be quick off the mark" and African wild dogs "are the marathon runners of the African plains"). Depending on the particular species, details are provided about physical characteristics, habitat, social organization, hunting behavior, mating and courtship, and rearing of offspring. When appropriate, conservation programs are also discussed. The 60 prints by National Geographic lensman Frans Lanting often show these animal "Olympians" in action. Readers will see lemurs leap, penguins hop, seals wrestle, impalas hurdle, and so on. No printed sources are cited, but wildlife experts are quoted throughout the text. The comprehensive nature of the distinctive entries will appeal to middle-school students. Julie Corsaro Product Description Provides photographs and text for a variety of wild animals, including the cheetah, emperor penguin, orangutan, and chameleon From School Library Journal Grade 5-8. Wildlife photographer Lanting has collaborated with two nature writers in profiling 13 different creatures, each deemed an "Olympian" in its own environment. Mammals, birds, a reptile, and an amphibian are included in five-to-eight page information-packed chapters. Each one ends on an environmental note, as the authors detail how the species is faring in the wild and what, if any, efforts are underway to protect it. Some entries are to be expected (of course the cheetah represents speed), but there are some pleasant surprises. Elephants represent "play," the archer is a chameleon, and the longest leaper is a "flying frog." Lanting's colorful photos depict each creature displaying its "personal best": wild dogs prowling in the dark, a group of young albatrosses doing "wing-s