Goliath bird-eating tarantula The world's biggest spider

K-Gr 3-These simply written introductions offer some basic facts about two species remarkable for their gargantuan size-the Goliath tarantula can reach more than 11 inches in length, while the whale shark can grow to more than 40 feet and weigh up to 30 tons. Both titles are arranged in double-page sections, each of which is geared to a different topic. In most, a half-page of text, comprised of two to four short sentences, is paired with a sharp color close-up of the featured animal. In several sections, an additional small photo accompanies the text, usually highlighting a key anatomical feature. Each title describes a few of the chief physical and/or behavioral characteristics, habitat, diet, and lifespan, and the birth of young. Also included are sidebars, a simplified world map colored to indicate geographical range, and a one-page appendix describing a few other oversize species. The best part of both books is the photography; it is of excellent quality. In Whale Shark, a full-body shot shows one of the leviathans placidly swimming next to some divers dwarfed by comparison. However, the texts, although clearly written, are bland and the amount of information they offer is slight. Most of the same material is covered in more detail in general introductions, such as Alice B. McGinty's The Tarantula (Rosen, 2002) and Time for Kids' Sharks! (HarperCollins, 2005).-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.

Simple text, stock photos, and maps introduce the habitat, diet, life cycle, physical characteristics, and behavior of the featured animal. Despite some cheesy subheads (e.g., ""How Sweet!"" ""Clean-up Crew""), the clear comparisons (""A female Queen Alexandra's birdwing is larger than the book you are reading"") and straightforward text will help readers understand more difficult concepts (e.g., camouflage, endangered species). Reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these SuperSized! titles: Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula, Goliath Beetle, and Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.