Amazing Canadian Wildlife: Educational Colouring Book

Mary Stevens is an elementary-school teacher-librarian with the Waterloo
Roman Catholic Separate School Board.

This coloring book is the second in a series of wildlife footprint
sticker books designed for 4- to 8-year-olds. Each double-page spread
contains a brief description of the habits and habitats of 11 Canadian
mammals—with tips on when and where to spot the animals’
tracks—and simple illustrations.

In her text, Linda Reynolds makes comparisons that enhance reader
understanding. For example, the fox’s footprints are like a dog’s,
only longer and narrower with a small pad. Such comparisons might spur
curious children to investigate the tracks in their own environment and
record their shapes. Robin Poitras avoids excessive detail in her
drawings, making them easy to color. The text does not mention the color
of the animals, so a reader/colorer interested in accuracy would need to
consult another reference work. Stickers facilitate shape recognition as
the younger reader matches stickers with sketches of the same footprint.
Recommended for home libraries.