Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 3around the idea that contemporary Web-site designers do something spiders perfected millions of years ago: they lure visitors to complex communication centers. Facklam, a veteran writer of children's science books, takes a look at 12 different spiders and the daddy long legs (a cousin to the spider), the eggs they hatch, and the webs they weave. She briskly introduces a wealth of information on the architectronics and psychology of web design and the physical characteristics of spiders, never losing sight of her target audience. Along the way, she fills the text with arresting facts--among them, spider silk, stronger than any other natural fiber, was used in bomb sights in World War II fighter planes. She also includes the kind of satisfyingly gross stuff some kids love: spiders don't eat their food, they envelop it in their vomit, wait for it to become liquid, and then drink it. Male's full-color illustrations add lavish, sometimes chilling details. A glossary and suggestions for further reading round out a fine book for students and interested children alike. --Connie Fletcher
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-This title boasts a clearly written, well-organized text, as well as an eye-catching, colorful format. A baker's dozen of arachnids-12 spiders and a spider look-alike-the daddy longlegs-are profiled in two-page sections. The lucid text briefly describes each creature's major physical and behavioral characteristics, focusing on the ways in which it employs spider silk. Featured creatures include the tarantula, black widow, purse web, bolas, and spitting spider. Alternating with the text is a full-color, close-up painting of the featured arachnid in action, usually with freshly captured prey. Smaller, labeled illustrations appear in a wide margin at the bottom of each page. Some show a particular process, such as the different stages of web construction or the stalking and capturing of prey; others diagram various body parts, such as fangs, poison ducts, etc., or depict related species. There's one minor omission-the book fails to list any arachnid Web sites. As the title itself plays on the word, their absence is puzzling. Jennifer Owings Dewey's Spiders Near and Far (Dutton, 1993; o.p.) and Sandra Markle's Outside and Inside Spiders (Atheneum, 1994) both provide more information on spider anatomy, general physical and behavioral characteristics, and reproduction. Although Facklam's title lacks the depth of these titles, it has definite browser appeal and will make a useful addition to natural-history sections.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library (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.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Intermediate) This cleverly titled addition to Facklam's arthropod books introduces readers to a dozen familiar and less well known spiders, and one impostor. While the spiders profiled are only a tiny fraction of the thousands of known spider species, those chosen showcase many strange and fascinating behaviors: hanging out underwater in a sac-like web, liquefying prey before eating it, and changing colors to match nearby flowers, to name a few. The larger-than-life color illustrations of the spiders in action provide details down to the leg hairs. A few contain familiar items to provide scale, though most rely on insect prey or plants to help readers estimate the actual size of the spiders. Trailing along the bottom of each page is an informative series of illustrations that show variations in the type of spider featured, sequences of spiders in action, or close-ups of spider parts. Facklam's sophisticated text presents facts effortlessly while remaining appealing throughout. No two profiles contain quite the same information; each builds in new details about spider ecology. The combined effect of all thirteen profiles is a complete presentation of the characteristics that define the arachnid class. By ending on the daddy longlegs-not a spider, but a different type of arthropod-Facklam reminds readers that looks alone are not enough to classify animals. Glossary and a brief bibliography. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this awesome look at 12 spiders and "one that's not," Facklam continues her series of natural-history titles, which includes such winners as Big Bugs (1994) and Creepy Crawly Caterpillars (1999). Filled with odd and interesting facts about how spiders spin webs, find and devour their food, reproduce, defend themselves, and escape their enemies, this will fascinate readers with enough specific detail, drama, humor, and yuck factor to appeal to a wide audience. Each spider gets a page of text and a full-color, larger-than-life portrait. A series of thumbnail illustrations in the bottom border extends the discussion and provides additional details. For example, the border for "Black Widow" illustrates four related poisonous spiders, the egg sac, and a female spider being approached by the smaller, less-colorful male. Though each spider's page demonstrates different features like camouflage, methods of catching prey, and habitat, the author describes common characteristics as well, labeling the specialized parts of spider anatomy and frequently pointing out their value. A brief glossary is included, as well as further reading. From cover to cover this is a captivating choice. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
