Curious about Cats
(Curious About Pets)

Gr 3-5--Aimed at kids who already own pets and those who are curious about them, these guides use a question-and-answer format to explore the animals' behaviors and habits. Spreads include one question, which is answered in a few sentences. Some function as pet owner advice: "Do pet birds get bored?" for instance, leads into several activities to keep the pets engaged (Birds). Others address more general curiosity, such as "How do cats land on their feet when they fall?" (Cats). One or two large photographs per spread depict the pets demonstrating the question's topic. Varied breeds and species are shown in each book; most are not identified by name within the main text, but a "Popular Breeds" page shows five examples with photos and captions. This page is not given in Hamsters, which is appropriate since their breed names are less known and rarely used. VERDICT A solid mix of general information and care data to supplement pet collections.