Reviews

Which Animal is Fastest?


Kirkus Reviews - May 2017

Large and small, land and sea animals, birds and beasts, reptiles and insects: They tell their king the facts about their abilities. Husky says: “I am the fastest over long distances.” Ostrich wants all participants to “run on two legs to be fair to everyone.” A sea turtle thinks that the race should be held in the water, an idea heartily endorsed by a black marlin. A majestic peregrine falcon insists on the sky because these birds fly at 240 miles per hour, but a small free-tailed bat pipes up and says that the race “should be at night!” What’s a wise ruler to do? The king creates “an Olympics” with multiple events.

Midwest Book Review - October 2018

While very highly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Pets/Wildlife collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "Which Animal Is Fastest?" is also available in a paperback edition and in a digital book format.

Kids Book Buzz - January 2019

This book is filled with lots of non-fiction facts and many ways to learn about the characteristics of the fastest animals. The text flows while incorporating fun facts in this fictional story. Which Animal is the Fastest? has simple earth-toned illustrations that help the reader visualize new and unfamiliar animals. There are also several activity pages that encourage reading comprehension. This is an excellent book for readers who love learning about animals while reading a funny tale.

Outnumbered 3 to 1 - October 2018

Which Animal is Fastest? is an extremely interesting book that shows readers that different animals can be fast at different things. There is the short distance runner, long distance runner, the fastest flyer…and so many more! A book showcasing the fastest animals on the planet…including the one with the fastest tongue!

Bookworm for Kids - October 2018

The first page bursts out with dry, savanna appeal and sets the perfect stage for the wild race. The illustrations portray the animals with a sense of natural beauty, while still incorporating a tad bit of human mannerisms to flow right in with the story. It's a treat to glance through the pictures, and young listeners are sure to find their favorites.

With a simple plot, the story delivers a bit of excitement while allowing the needed animals to come into play and hint at their own talents. The argument builds, some complaints more ridiculous than others, but it's this impossible atmosphere which adds a subtle humor. Especially the reaction of the lion with his paw over his face had me and my kids giggling. It's easy to identify with his predicament.

Summed up, this is a wonderful combination of story and information, which easily draws even more reluctant readers in and opens them up to a few animals facts they probably didn't know before.

Heck of a Bunch - October 2018

I was pretty amazed at the "Fastest Punch" fact that's earned by the Peacock Mantis Shrimp! The "For Creative Minds" section at the back of the book further educates and entertains. Readers will learn how animals move, how different animals have different strengths, how animals' bodies help them succeed in their environment, and speed sequencing.

Readerbuzz - October 2018

Kids love to read books about speed and this book, with its smooth storyline emphasizing working together to come up with a satisfactory conclusion will be a delight to them. The book also includes lots of additional activities for children who want more.

Teachers, Librarians, and Readers from Goodreads

Most youngsters are fascinated by how fast they can go and turn that fascination into an interest in which animal is fastest...There is a table highlighting each animal and its speed, and readers will love knowing that a peacock mantis shrimp can punch is claw so fast that it breaks the sound barrier, a cool fact to share with others. The underlying message here, of course, is that each species has some special ability, and it's interesting to consider how different each one is. —Barbara

Bergers Book Review - November 2018

The final pages detail each of the speeds of the winning animals in their specialty. Activities and questions are also provided for teachers who might want to use this book for science lessons. Which Animal Is Fastest? is a fun read for animal lovers, and will be a big hit in the classroom.

Reviews by Rachel - December 2018

Which animal is the fastest on earth? Think you know? Ya might be surprised. Delve into author, Brian Rock’s latest book, “Which Animal is Fastest?”to discover animal facts you may not have known about 12 of the world’s fastest animals. Readers will learn as racers take their marks in this delightfully written tale. Illustrations by Carolyn Le are stunning. Don’t forget about the Creative Minds section at the back of the book where readers can learn even more. Available in English and Spanish from Arbordale Publishing.

SWON Libraries - February 2019

This non-fiction picture book covers multiple non-fiction content and concepts including how animals move, animal body parts, and speed sequencing. Children either reading aloud or being read to will enjoy that this information is presented in more of a story format rather than just dry facts. Lion’s competition makes the concepts exciting and creates drama all the way to the end.

Ohio School Leadership Foundation and University of Cincinnati SCI Center - February 2019

This would be a great read aloud, in particular to show an engaging example of using argumentative techniques in an informational text.

M. G. Paregian - March 2019

This is another exciting book about animals, with the object of discovering the fastest animal. Is it the lion? Lions are very fast. They would certainly qualify for high speeds. A race would determine the answer. The winner of this race to determine the fastest animal turns out to be the cheetah, clocked at 75 miles per hour. That is fast!

A Sea turtle bragged about his speed. this caused some laughter from the other animals. The turtle clarified his claim, stating in the water, he could swim up to 20 miles per hour! That sounded pretty good, that is until a black marlin announced that he could swim over 80 miles per hour. this was getting interesting. Then along with other animals, there were additional races. The story has an intersting finish. Also included is a chart of the speeds of many animals.