Bears By Sally Morgan

    Did you know that American black bears are not necessarily black? If not, I suggest checking out Sally Morgan's exploration the lives of bears in her nonfiction text entitled Bears.  With a table of contents she prepares readers for the topics they will soon discover, such as bear types, where bears are found, what bears eat, and hibernation.
     Each page there after addresses the topic proposed in the table of contents with text and photographs.  Information is presented in an easy to read and understand manner and the photographs provide excellent extensions to the text.  Important vocabulary words are in bold type and easy to find.  Additionally, each picture has a helpful caption and on each page you will find a "Bear Fact" in a yellow circle.  You'll discover fun tidbits of information, such as "Polar bears are champion swimmers.  They have been known to swim more than 60 miles without a rest."  Did you know that?
      The photographs themselves are wonderful, but a simple added touch makes them come to life.  In the background of most of the pages readers will find the fur of the bear whom they are learning about.  For instance, on the page that discusses giant pandas eating habits, the author has placed panda fur in the background to outline the text and photographs. The book is a great tool for teaching about habitats and animal adaptations or presenting an example of an animal for independent research. 
     If you're a fanatic about bears or maybe you just want to learn more about them, then give this book a try!