• Age: 5 to 9
• Grade: k to 3
• Reading age: 7 to 8

What is a reptile? Turtles, iguanas, crocodiles, and many other creatures are all reptiles!

Brian P. Cleary is an American humorist, poet, and author. He is best known for his books written for grade-school children that explore grammar, math and poetry in humorous ways. In his role in the digital division of American Greetings, he's put words in the mouths of Dolly Parton, Christina Aguilera, William Shatner, Meghan Trainor and more. The multi-million selling author has performed poetry workshops in 500 elementary schools across the county. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brian P. Cleary's profile page

Martin Goneau has been working as a professional illustrator since 1997. Most of his work is dedicated to children's books and other educational publications. He lives in Trois-Rivières, Québec.

Martin Goneau's profile page

• Winner, Science Books & Films Best Books

"Kids' books are not only for kids. Moms, dads, big brothers and sisters and, of course, teachers read them as well. There is something in this book for all its readers. Most important, the book is scientifically accurate. The major characteristics of reptiles are explained clearly and in a most poetic way. The illustrations are fun to look at and add to the explanations. The words in each sentence are chosen carefully and should help parents and teachers cover important elements in developing reading and writing skills in their readers. Learning about common organisms is important in developing an interest in science among youngsters, and this book does that exceedingly well. The publisher provides a useful and easy to access web site for teachers and parents that contains useful information and suggestions to enhance the value of the book. The book would be a great addition to a home, school or public library. Hopefully readers will be excited by this book and eager to learn more. Perhaps families would enjoy a field trip or a visit to a zoo or natural history museum to continue the learning experience." --Science Books & Films

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"The Categorical cats are back again, ready to explore animal classification in Brian P. Cleary's new series. Brief, but interesting discussion follows, moving the reader from page to page until they are asked to recall what they have learned. Brightly colored cartoons provide comic relief as they extend the story. An endnote indicates a website for additional activities and games. The presentation is so much fun that readers are unaware of how much they are actually learning as they study traits animals have in common and come to the understanding that they are classified because of these traits."—Library Media Connection

Journal

"Those CATegorical felines are back. This time they turn their attention to the characteristics of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects, and fish. The energetic rhyming text and zany cartoon illustrations will captivate students and make it fun to learn about what makes each group distinctive. Goneau's cartoon creatures nicely complement the facts that Cleary imparts in his rhythmic narrative, and in several cases, labels are included in the illustrations to reinforce a point. Each volume concludes with two pages summarizing the key characteristics of the animal class under discussion. Solid additions to the series." --School Library Journal, Series Made Simple

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