Hansen succeeds at the difficult task of reducing complex topics to their essential elements for young readers. Besides identifying the important characteristics of each biome, she notes distinctions, such as arctic and alpine tundra and boreal, temperate, and tropical forests. She also provides representative examples of the biome’s plants and animals. The oversize format, featuring a large photo in each spread, makes the books good choices for group sharing. Well-designed, basic introductions to the important features of various biomes. First choices for most collections.