Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-8. This user-friendly introduction to snakes-exemplified by Keller's almost winsome reptile draped over a branch on the dust jacket-provides young readers with well-organized information on the creature's physical characteristics and life cycle. The focus is on how snakes find and catch other animals for food using vibrations, scent, and their heat-sensing ability as clues. Snakes that eat their prey live and those that kill their prey first are described. Lauber also notes that snakes themselves are sometimes the prey, hunted by crocodiles and other large animals. Lauber's straightforward and direct text is well served by Keller's lighthearted, but never cutesy, illustrations. PW. 597.96 Snakes [CIP] 87-47695
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Snakes are the focus of this Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science Book, a short, informative and well-paced introduction to the natural history and habits of these reptiles. The basic facts about snakes are clearly presented: they have no legs, they have scales and ``spectacles'' instead of eyelids. And snakes are hunters; in the wild, all snakes stalk, capture and eat other animals. Lauber, an award-winning science writer for children, also explores aspects of cold-bloodedness, hibernation, reproduction and growth. Keller's lively full-color illustrations complement the well-organized text, although some drawingsin which the snakes smileare a bit too cartoony. Ages 4-8. (February) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3 This broad introduction to snakes is concisely written and well organized. The text briefly and accurately describes basic anatomical features, general physical and behavioral characteristics (plus a few special characteristics of poisonous snakes), senses, methods of locomotion, hunting and feeding techniques, natural enemies, egg-laying, and the birth of young. Concepts are simply explained, few scientific terms are employed, and the few species mentioned directly are referred to by their common names. The brightly colored, cartoon-like illustrations that appear on all but two pages are well coordinated with the text; however, they are so over-generalized that scales are seldom shown and body markings are incomplete. There are other general introductions available covering much the same information and which have illustrations more straightforward and scientific in their approach. Two good examples are Selsam's A First Look at Poisonous Snakes (Walker, 1987) and Petty's Reptiles (Gloucester Pr, 1987). Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library8sljone 8sljone (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
