The creative team that collaborated on Beaks (2002) tackles the subject of wings. Beginning with a look at the many types of animals that have wings, Collard then offers some examples of the wide diversity of wings styles--differences in size, color, and covering are all explored. He presents the dynamics of flight briefly, along with ways wings can influence an animal's activities and the many things animals accomplish by using their wings. The text concludes by comparing animals' wings to the wings humans have invented to achieve flight. Font differences make the text easily adaptable to many age groups--for the very young, just a short sentence, while for older readers there is an entire paragraph of information. Every animal is labeled, and the list of resources and glossary at the back will help children learn more. Brickman's awe-inspiring artwork was created by painting paper with watercolors, then cutting, sculpting and gluing the individual pieces of each collage. The result is an amazing feast of color and texture that brings the creatures to life and helps readers see how wings work. A must-have for every library collection.

As he did in Beaks!, Sneed again presents brief surveys of animal anatomy. The colorful layouts feature a topical paragraph and a bold portrait per page, and each book showcases a variety of species. The first title deals with the types and numbers of teeth that fish, reptiles, and mammals have and how they are used. Saroff's paintings, though true to life, have a shiny quality that gives them an almost surreal appearance. Sneed's comments are a bit jocular in this volume: "The lizard's all-the-same teeth are…sharp and pointy enough to hold onto a moth or beetle until the lizard has a chance to swallow it." The second book looks at wing design and the shapes of birds, insects, and mammals, as well as at prehistoric flyers and birds that no longer fly. Human fascination with flying rounds out the discussion. Brickman's paper collages of winged animals are as impressive in texture and color as they were in Beaks. Varying in vocabulary and liveliness, from quite simple to challenging, the short chunks of information will be more manageable for a somewhat older audience than is suggested by the slim, almost picture-book format. Nevertheless, these books offer interesting facts and comparisons and should attract animal lovers

Wings looks at flight in nature. What amounts to a compilation of unusual or memorable facts about wings in the animal kingdom, this spectacular book will feed children's fascination with flying. Three dimensional artwork consists of brightly painted paper sculptures that seem to lift the images from the page. This amazing artwork will hold the attention of children even when the vocabulary slips above a primary level. For example, the text explains that hummingbirds can hover because "their wings move in complex motions, generating forces in many directions. . . . This maneuverability has allowed these animals to become true masters of flight."
Questions covered in the text include styles, sizes, and composition (feathers, scales, skin) of wings, as well as how different flyers use their wings in different ways: to hunt, chase, find a mate, flee. Even wingless birds (kiwis have only tiny nubs hidden under their feathers) receive a page. A brief glossary defines a dozen terms. The resources list suggests a wealth of sources for further exploration, including live web cams for virtual bird watching. Will inspire young imaginations to soar.

In these two books, Collard provides a grand tour of animal diversity. By focusing on variations in two traits, teeth and wings, he harks back to the days when animals were classified on the basis of type rather than on descent from a common ancestor. Winged birds and bats were grouped together, as were legless snakes and worms. After all, such innovations occur time and time again in animal evolution. The wings and teeth highlighted in these two books are accurately rendered and from a plethora of animals. Artist Robin Brickman illustrates Wings in vivid detail with painted and paper-collage prints. Fox bat wings look leathery; butterfly wings appear scaly. In Teeth, snarling, yawning, and feeding animals are painted in realistic and, and occassional gory, illustrations by artist Phyllis Saroff. For example, a vampire bat slices a hoof with razor-sharp teeth, and a hyena gnaws on a dismembered zebra leg. Collard includes more than obvious animals: These might be the first children's books to display the gaudy pink feathers of Australian galas, or the hard, flat teeth in the throats of bullnose rays.