Canadian Skin and Scales: A Complete Encyclopedia of Canadian Reptiles and Amphibians

Sandy Campbell is a reference librarian in the Science and Technology Library at the University of Alberta.

This book is a “complete encyclopedia of Canadian reptiles and
amphibians,” but doesn’t have the look and feel of a traditional
encyclopedia. For each animal, there is a black-and-white drawing, 40
words of description, and three other specific sections (“Colour,”
“Reproduction,” and “Where Do They Live?”). The text for the
latter section is very general. For example, for the pickerel frog, the
question is answered in two bullets: “slow moving water, ponds” and
a Southern Ontario to Maritimes, south to Texas.” It is also, for no
apparent reason, presented in a grey, framed box, while the rest of the
text is black on white. A point-form “Did You Know…?” section
takes up the rest of the page, supplying more detailed information; but
there is no obvious reason why some points occur here and not in the
descriptive part. For example, it is not clear why the colour of the
pickerel frog’s legs would appear here and not under “Colour.” The
introductory chapter and the introduction to each class of animal
provide good overviews. Many species have special icons that indicate
that they are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. The risk
associated with the species is also described.

The format of this book will engage children and the content is up to
date. There are few similar Canadian books available, so public and
school libraries will want to purchase it. However, the lack of colour
pictures is a definite detraction. Recommended.