Mammals! Book Review

Book Review
Explorer: Mammals!
Written by Nick Forshaw
Illustrated by William Exley
Published March 5, 2019

Why we chose this book:
We are loving the Explorer timeline books! Bugs! and Dinosaurs! were incredible, so when we saw new books in the series had been published, we were excited. What on Earth Books provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mom's Review
Following Bugs! and Dinosaurs!, Mammals! introduces a new explorer: female Agent Osprey. Just like Agent Eagle from the earlier books, Agent Osprey travels back through time in order to compile a report on the history of mammals. Engaging illustrations, lots of inset pictures and text, and fascinating information make for a highly appealing read. When T was younger, we'd browse the books, picking topics we wanted to read about. Now, he wants this read cover-to-cover. It takes about half an hour.

I love this series for four reasons.

Text
Mammals! is divided into chapters. Each chapter begins with a very basic introduction to the topic (for example, the intro for "Animal Homes," explains that mammals can be found everywhere). Then the topic is broken into three sub-categories (such as "Frozen snow and desert sand" or "Underwater mammals"). The language and length are appropriate for grade-school children up to middle school. The elevated writing style sets an excellent example for developing writers.

Content
The information is fascinating, with just the right balance between general and specific. In the "Underwater mammals" section, for example, readers learn how mammals breathe, feed, and communicate. Did you know that dolphins can hear other dolphins calling their name? And mothers teach calves particular sets of skills, which they will teach their calves in turn. Concepts are accessible to young children and may be new to adult readers as well .

Illustrations
Bright colors, big pictures, and labels make the pictures appealing and instructional. After a two-page introduction to the topic, a two-page spread of illustration expands readers' understanding. There might be one large picture with parts labeled, such as with a panorama of ancient mammals. Or there might be an array of smaller pictures with explanations, such as with animals' homes around the world. Inset illustrations break up the text and fun for just browsing.

Timeline
An incredible 6 ft. fold-out timeline is in the back. I've learned to only allow T to open it along a wall. The timeline is so full of creatures and information that it will fascinate for days (and create a tripping hazard if you place it in the middle of the floor).

T had some interesting takeaways that I would not have come up with myself, but certainly make sense if you make the connection between understanding, appreciating, and preserving the creatures on Earth. He recommends Mammals! for animal lovers. I concur, and I'd take it one step further. Natural-history enthusiasts will also likely get a kick out of this book and the whole series.

Son's Review
(Age: 4)
Regarding the timeline:
That's how life was, Mommy. So there was dinosaurs, then regular things, then a bunch of hunting.

Mom: Do you have a current favorite mammal? Mine are the woodchucks.

Son, searching the timeline: This one [gigantopithecus]. He's huge!

Mom: Was there anything interesting you learned about humans?

Son: Hunting. Well, I already knew about hunting. New is that humans throw meat into fire.

Mom: Can you connect this to any other books?

Son: AGENT EAGLE!!!
(The researcher from the other books in the series)

Mom: What about the aye-aye?

Son: That's my favorite. It's the aye-aye 'cuz I watched a movie about it. It eats bugs. And I like everything to do with bugs, so I would like the aye-aye of course.

Mom: What were you most excited to see?

Son: Aye-aye!

Mom: Why do you like the timeline so much?

Son: I just love timelines!

Mom: When is it a good time to read this?

Son: When I love animals.

Mom:Do you love animals?

Son: Umm-hmm.

Mom: Who should read it?

Son: Anyone who loves animals. But it's not for people who litter because they wouldn't listen to the directions in this book.

Mom: What directions?

Son: The author is teaching people to not litter by writing this book. Well, littering hurts the animals, and the author wants you to not litter because she [sic] thinks it's bad because it can hurt.

Mom: How do you know all this?

Son: I just do.

Mom: What can we learn from Mammals?

Son: That mammals are healthy for the Earth and that people should not hurt mammals and kill them.

Mom: What if they kill them to eat them?

Son: Well, I would defend the animals.
(We had quite a chat about this. According to T, pigs are okay to eat since he doesn't like how messy they are, but that's it.)