Big, beautiful and biologically accurate, this compendium of 80 wild creatures from the Northern Hemisphere will impress animal and art lovers of all ages. In three sections (North America, Europe and Asia), German illustrator and children's book author Dieter Braun brings polar bears, rattlesnakes, sperm whales and golden pheasants to life with his stylized, geometrically patterned, up-close artwork in nature's loveliest hues of green, purple, orange, gray, gold and brown. Playful text reveals intriguing facts about the critters: "When searching for a mate the iridescent black ibis use their Mediterranean charm to its full potential. With their splayed crest and raucous croaking, the males and females alike bow to one another several times." The book's thick, linen-like paper is delicious to the touch and allows the rich illustrations to pop. Readers will return to this lush encyclopedia over and over as they await Braun's Wild Animals of the South. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor