ANIMALS HIBERNATING

Hickman surveys how animals survive extreme temperatures with periods of dormancy or hibernation. She includes the preparation—building up a layer of fat, storing food; finding a safe place alone or in groups; avoiding hazards and thawing out. Most interesting is information on cold-blooded animals like frogs and turtles that actually freeze solid because of a special type of sugar in their blood. Each topic is treated in two pages with accompanying illustrations. Since drawings are not to scale, the viewer may wonder whether a Turkish hamster, polar bear and albino groundhog, all appearing on the same page, are the same size. The distinction between “true hibernators” and “deep sleepers” is hard to follow, especially when the author uses “hibernating” and “hibernation” to include both. Some interesting information, but lacking in supporting sources; fuzzy science, attractive price, marginal title. (Nonfiction. 7-10)