Editorial Review
SLJ Review of Beastly Battles

In a fun twist in the animal battles field, this set pits a modern-day creatureagainst a prehistoric beast that shares somesimilar traits. Short two-page chapters compare key features of each animal. SiberianTiger vs. Saber-Tooth Cat, for instance, looks atsize, teeth, claws, and hunting methods. Theuse of past tense for the prehistoric creatureshelps readers navigate the alternating presentations. Photos and illustrations highlight thetext effectively: a close-up photo shows therhinoceros’s thick skin, for example, while acaptioned drawing notes the triceratops’ frilland scales (Rhinoceros vs. Triceratops). Finalspreads set up the battle, though no winneris revealed. Readers are asked to speculate,aided by a table providing direct comparisons between the two animals. The last spread in-includes large images of the battlers on facingpages, but nothing shows them actually interacting. VERDICT The prehistoric elementshould appeal to animal battle fans.