Get ready to take a walk on the wild side! National Geographic Children's Books' reference work provides families and children with everything they need to know about the animal kingdom.

Meet more than 1,000 animals as you explore these pages. This comprehensive volume introduces the entire animal kingdom: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and all kinds of invertebrates, from sea squirts to worms and spiders. The animal kingdom is the greatest show on Earth, and National Geographic Encyclopedia of Animals puts it all at your fingertips.

Your tour of the animal kingdom takes you to every corner of the planet—from rugged mountain slopes to ocean depths and from steamy jungles to baking deserts and icy polar regions.

First, find out just what an animal is, where animals live, how they behave, and why some are endangered. Then the parade of animals begins, each group in its own color-coded section. A lively introductory essay pointing out each group's distinguishing features is followed by page after page of stunning illustrations, engaging text, fun facts, maps, and more about the amazing range of animals within each group. The illustrations crawl, chatter, screech, growl, and jump off every page.

Features include:

• More than 1,000 species vividly illustrated
• Fascinating facts at your fingertips
• Range maps for all major groups of animals
• Cross-sections and cutaways
• Photo essays that show animals in their habitats
• The latest conservation data
• Features on scientific discoveries and breakthroughs
• Scientific and common names for all animals
• Size listings for all illustrated animals
• Contents prepared under the direction of an international authority on animal sciences
• Comprehensive glossary and index

• For ages 8 & up
• Hardcover
• 192 pages
• 8 1/2'' x 10 13/16''
• © 2006

Karen McGhee is a science writer and journalist with a background in the biological sciences. With a preference for reporting from the field, she has had first-hand experience covering topics as diverse as the behavior of great white sharks and conservation efforts to save some of the world's rarest birds.

George McKay is an internationally recognized authority in the zoological sciences. He is an independent consultant in conservation biology at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.