Carnivorous plants

Gr 4-6-Predators with fascinating adaptations are examined in these straightforward introductions. After explaining why some plants in watery environments became meat eaters, Griswell briefly describes their natural habitats, geographical range, types of prey, methods of digestion, and special characteristics of representative plants with either active or passive leaf traps. The text discusses the basic structure, growth pattern, type of lure, and trap function of the Venus flytrap, bladderworts, sundews, and a half-dozen pitcher plant species. Cynthia Overbeck's Carnivorous Plants (Lerner, 1982) and Nathan Aaseng's Meat-Eating Plants (Enslow, 1996) cover similar material on most of the same plants, but Griswell offers more information on natural enemies, animals that benefit from the plants, and current conservation issues. The second title focuses on red fire ants, which, due to their remarkably aggressive nature, have been designated as pests in 13 states (most of the South, and parts of the Southwest). The book provides a good look at this rather intimidating insect and will be a useful resource for reports. Jeanne M. Lesinski's Exotic Invaders (Walker, 1996) includes a chapter on fire ants but does not offer the same in-depth coverage. Clear, color photographs of the organisms discussed accompany both texts. Each title also includes one or two diagrams and a U.S. distribution map. The one in Plants has a major flaw; a dark green shading, which is evidently meant to indicate the widest distribution of the plants, is not included in the legend. Of the two books, Fire Ants has a smoother writing style, but both are well organized.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.