Speaking directly and simply to preschoolers, these books spin off from the title questions to discuss the life cycles of snails and ladybugs from their hatching to maturity. Both books conclude with unnecessary, tongue-in-cheek explanations of how a human child is different from a ladybug or a snail. Detailed illustrations give close-up views. More facts are included in a Did You Know section at the end of each book. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ages 4^-6. These two brightly illustrated volumes from the Backyard Books series introduce children to little critters they might run across close to home. Ladybug begins, "Are you a ladybug? If you are, your parents look like this, and they eat aphids." The text leads children to imagine the stages of ladybughood, from egg to first flight. The last pages point out the ways that children are unlike ladybugs. Snail follows a similar format, beginning with an egg and following it to adulthood, as it discusses snail characteristics, habits, and predators in a most engaging way. Precise line drawings are subtly shaded and washed with color. Two well-conceived animal books for young children. --Carolyn Phelan

PreS-Gr 2-Short sentences in large print are juxtaposed against colorful, close-up, watercolor-and-pencil illustrations. Each accessible book begins with its title question and tells readers how they would experience life as that creature, keeping the familiar form of address throughout, e.g., "If you are [a ladybug], your parents look like this, and they eat-." The books briefly describe their subjects' birth, growth and development, a few outstanding physical and behavioral characteristics, diet, habitat, and natural enemies. The narratives then segue into a reality check, stating, "However, if your parents look a little like this-You are-a human child." Each title ends with a list of miscellaneous facts about the invertebrate discussed. While the texts are simply and clearly written, there are a couple of minor flaws. Ladybug fails to define the word aphid, although the soft-bodied insect is referred to several times, and Snail defines poison as "poisonous." Joanne Ryder's beautifully illustrated, lyrical The Snail's Spell (Puffin, 1988) serves as an excellent introduction for preschoolers, but Allen's titles will attract young nature lovers.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.