Full of useful information. ( )

Children are fondly interested in animals, and this book is a treasure, filled with fascinating facts about predatory cats, and beautiful photographs to illustrate every topic. The book begins with an introduction, an overview of what the big cats all have in common, and then moves to focus on the biggest species of the hunter cats, such as the lion, tiger, and leopard. After that, the book spends time on details about typical activities of big cats. It ends with a section on caring for these wild animals.

I learned quite a few new facts about wild cats. For instance, I didn't know that snow leopards were so rare, or that pumas could jump so far. I never realized that leopards actually eat their meals in a tree. I was never bored reading, either. Every new spread is gorgeous, and the text is cleverly disseminated so that it doesn't ever feel overwhelming. Children will like it, the pictures will draw them in, and they can read at their own reading level to glean the information. Younger readers might just look at the pictures and the big paragraph, while older or more advanced children can read the sidebars and smaller text. Honestly, even as an adult I prefer reading my nonfiction in this format. It's so much fun.

The DK Eye Wonder series is a fantastic collection of nonfiction books that feature various scientific subjects. Every two page spread features amazing photography - sometimes, I literally say 'wow' out loud - and information delivered in small and easily digested bits. A topic paragraph is in bold print, smaller paragraphs are scattered around the two pages, with catchy titles, and more information is contained in sidebars with a list of facts or a cartoon and little known details. I love this series. Nurture your child's interest in nonfiction with this book, and others like it. ( )

This book has information about a lot of different big cats like the tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard, puma, and cheetah. I have been using this book to do some mini lessons with a 3rd grader and it has worked wonderfully. She loves the information and the photographs of all the cats. This book is good for teaching different text features and parts of a book. It has titles, headings, captions, charts, photographs, title page, table of contents, glossary, animal glossary, and index. I would recommend this book for a child that likes big cats and for a teacher to have in the classroom.