Customer Reviews

Pets in a Jar: Collecting and Caring for Small Wild Animals (Puffin Science Books)

5 star:		(6)
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We loved this book when we found it in the school library, and when we had to return it, I decided we needed a copy for at home. It covers 15 different kinds of little, common wild animals that children are likely to find, and how to care for them. None of the equipment is expensive or difficult to find (all the instructions are based off of a 1 gallon pickle jar). Issues like responsibility to the animal and the importance of leaving endangered creatures in the wild are covered. The book is written in a tone that respects the child as a scientist. The information is clear and reliable and sets the young scientist up for success.

When I was 8 years old, I found a copy of this book. I'm not really sure how I found it, I just know that I had a copy and I absolutely loved it. Because of this book, I experienced what it was like to keep alive many small animals and learn to care for them as pets. I remember specifically catching crickets, making my jar as a small living area for them, and feeding them melon slices after dinner. In the evening, they would chirp in my room as I went to sleep. It became a great childhood memory.

Other animals were cared for in my posession, like tadpoles, praying mantis, toads, and many more. Each of them were kept for a short time and then released into the wild. As it was, I am thankful for the experience to have had this book, and I recommend it for any parent to their young child to experience more about the world we live in. I know it was a great experience for me.

Look up your insect or creature & see how to take care of them! Great book to allow children to capture bugs & observe them - then set them free & find something else...

This is a great resource for sharing live things with inquisitive students. It's simplicity makes it easy to do without detracting from sometimes, limited time and space in the classroom.

I am teaching a class with 3rd and 4th graders in it and they *enjoyed* this book. One or two students borrowed it and studied up on having a pet in a jar. We were studying insects at the time, so that is more'n likely what they were interested in. There are chapters on hydras, planarians, pond snails, water bugs, tadpoles, newts, toads, earthworms, ants, crickets, praying mantises, brine shrimp, butterflies and moths, hermit crabs and starfish, covering a wide range of pets that can be kept in a jar in your bedroom or classroom. This is a good book to have around if you or someone that you know wants to have a (small) pet of some kind. It is unlikely that they will recognize you or respond to you, but they will be interesting to observe! The book says, in part, "Most, if not all, will never learn to recognize you. Most will pay no attention to you at all. But these wild animal pets will let you see things about the way they live that are almost impossible to see in any other way."

If your child likes to try to "keep" every small creature in a jar, then this is a great book for you. My children always did this, but it's hard to know how to keep them alive. This great black & white printed book is loaded with information. It's one that has gotten much attention by the children & a curious mom.