Editorial Review

The Life Cycles series introduces this essential elementary-science concept in short chapters with descriptive paragraphs and colorful, full-page, captioned photographs, many of which feature up-close perspectives. Each volume begins similarly, recognizing that humans, animals, and plants all have life cycles, and includes relevant information about each living being, such as physical characteristics, food sources, and environment, while tracing its path from initial formation to maturity and explaining simple reproduction. The Life Cycle of a Chicken emphasizes both the chick stage (how they peck their way out of eggs, grow, eat, etc.) and the differences between fertilized and unfertilized eggs. The Life Cycle of a Clown Fish relates how the clown fish’s symbiotic relationship with sea anemones supports its survival and the unusual way males transform into females to reproduce. The Life Cycle of a Daisy spotlights the importance of pollination and seed dispersal, along with the ideal amount of water and sunlight, to help daisies reproduce and grow flowers. The Life Cycle of an Earthworm describes the earthworm’s special physical features that allow it to crawl through dirt, its role as a decomposer, and how, possessing both male and female parts, it reproduces with other earthworms. A large life-cycle diagram concludes each book in this series that goes beyond just the basics.