Nature Did It First

Nature Did It First

From BooklistPreS-Gr. 2. Maynard Thane's Animal Inventors (1991) and Lisa Evan's An Elephant Never Forgets Its Snorkel (1992) explored a similar concept, but this well-conceived presentation aims at a younger audience. Each right-hand page shows a child using something that is briefly identified--for example, "Straw." A turn of the page reveals a strawlike structure in nature; in this case, a photo of a moth with its proboscis in a flower, a two-sentence explanation of how moths and butterflies suck nectar through this narrow, straw-like structure, and one phrase printed in large letters: "Nature did it first!" The layout turns the book into a guessing game when the text is read aloud. Though the answers are not always apparent, this interactive aspect of the presentation is engaging. Clear, colorful photographs and attractive book design make this an appealing choice for school and public libraries, where science titles for young children are increasingly in demand. Carolyn PhelanCopyright