March of the Penguins: Companion to the Major Motion Picture

Jacquet, Luc; Maison, Jerome; and Fifield, Donnali. March of the Penguins: Companion to the Major Motion Picture. Washington, D.C. : National Geographic, 2006.

Plot: The book supplements the famous movie. Much of the text follows the narration of the film, garnished by attractive photographs and helpful captions.

Genre: Documentary-Books, Animals

Reading Level: Aimed at adults, but younger readers may it as well.

Similar Titles: Eye to Eye: Intimate Encounters with the Animal World, Penguins of the World

Personal Thoughts: Of all the books based on documentaries I read this week, this one was the most similar to the original source. The text was light but meaningful while the photos were gorgeous yet complementary.  As a result, the book provides an ideal companion to the movie.

As a side note, I tried to copy the cover with Jerome and Toothless. I'm not sure if it worked.

Planet Earth as You've Never Seen It Before

Fothergill, Alastair Fothergill. Planet Earth as You've Never Seen It Before. Berkeley : University of California Press, 2006.

Plot: The book, spawned by the popular television series, focuses on the natural history of the planet. Like the series, the book displays beautiful visuals about rare, famous, and/or elusive animals throughout the world.

Genre: Documentary, Animals

Reading Level: The language may discourage younger readers.

Similar Titles: Through the Lens, Life: Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviors

Personal Thoughts: The book is beautiful and well-suited for a coffee table status. However, the writing remains extremely dry. Unlike the narration of the series, the book does not flow very well and information does not seem as accessible. Still, the captions are appealing and add greatly to the photographs, which are stills from the original documentary.