This book is about the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, puma, cheetah and snow leopard. Their physical characteristics, behavior and habitats are discussed, among other things.
The facts seem to be accurate and correct, based on what is known about the author. The most significant facts are included, such as habitat, size, diet, social organization, hunting style, differences between the cats, etc. While the sources are not cited, Simon is a reputable author, who used to be a science teacher, and has written over one hundred science books for children. He has won many awards for his books, and Big Cats received the Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children honor in 1991. The book also received a glowing review from the School Library Journal.
The layout of the book is logical and coherent. There is a clear introduction that discusses general information about cats, as well as a conclusion that makes the reader aware of the fact many of these cats are endangered. The book starts off with this general information, and then moves into more detailed information for each individual cat. While there aren�t actual chapters for each cat, each cat is discussed individually and they seem to be loosely arranged by size from largest cat to smallest cat. Because there are no chapters, there is no table of contents either. There are also no index, subheadings, or reference aids of any kind.
The design of the book is attractive. The font is large and easy to read because of the size and because the lines are double spaced. The cover photograph is inviting and makes the reader want to read the book. It is a very close up picture of a jaguar or leopard with the title displayed very prominently in large, red font next to the cat�s head. The photographs within the book appear to be accurate and depict the cats in their natural settings � hunting, relaxing, taking care of young, and playing. The photographs are colorful and large (one to two page spreads) and give a clear distinction of what the cats look like. They are appropriate to the subject matter. For example, the text describes how leopards will drag their prey up a tree to eat it. The photograph on the opposite page shows a leopard relatively high up in a tree, with a dead gazelle draped over a branch next to the leopard.
The writing is lively and interesting. The opening sentence describes big cats as �bundles of muscles ready to spring into action.� The text doesn�t provide so much information that it becomes boring and wordy, and the vocabulary is appropriate for children. The author�s interest in the big cats is apparent from the book�s conclusion where Simon discusses how horrible it is that people kill big cats for their fur. This ending also encourages more reading on the topic of animal protection and endangered species. While the book doesn�t have any anecdotes, or quotes, it is full of compelling details and surprising facts. For example, Simon explains that cats� eyes glow in the dark because of reflective cells in the back of the eye that act like a mirror. The fact that I found most interesting and surprising was that some of the big cats� tongues are so rough that they can draw blood just by licking the skin of another animal.
This book is informative as well as interesting and I was surprised to learn some things about big cats that I didn�t know. Any child or adult that is interested in wild animals will enjoy this book and probably learn something as well.
