Praying Mantis (Living Things) [Library Binding]

Rebecca Stefoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up | Series: Living Things

Introduces the life cycle and habitat of the praying mantis as well as the related stick and leaf insects.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-3--Each of these series titles briefly introduces the physical characteristics, habitat, and behavior of its subject. The strength of the books is the stunning, full-color photographs that highlight some of the different varieties of each animal in its natural habitat. While the texts are easy to read, there are a few instances where they are vague. In Giant Turtle, readers are not given specific measurements but are instead told that the turtle is "almost as tall as you are. And the swimming turtle is so big that you couldn't reach from one end of its shell to the other." Likewise, Praying Mantis states, "The mantis sees very well with its big eyes," but fails to introduce or discuss the scientific term of compound eyes. Overall, though, these titles are bright and attractive and would be useful as supplemental sources for reports and information gathering.

Katherine Borchert, Arlington Central Library, VA

Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Each book matches or surpasses the standards universally applied when judging a successful informational book for children. They're great books." -- The Five Owls for Parents, September/October 2000

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Benchmark Books (NY) (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761401202
• ISBN-13: 978-0761401209
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #604,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rebecca Stefoff published her first books when she was in college and has been writing ever since. She is the author of more than 150 books, with more on the way. Her writing motto: "Ideas are easy. Pages are hard."

Rebecca has written many nonfiction books for children and young adults, with an emphasis on science and history. Through her books teenage readers can explore topics as varied as ghosts, robots, bacteria, evolution, women pioneers, the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, and forensic crime solving.

Over the course of her freelance writing career Rebecca has also published romance novels, celebrity biographies, reference works, and even a self-help book. In addition, she has adapted the works of historian Howard Zinn, science writer Charles C. Mann, and ethnic studies pioneer Ronald Takaki for young audiences.

After growing up in Indiana, Rebecca moved to Philadelphia for graduate school. Later she moved to the Pacific Northwest and now lives in Portland, Oregon.

When Rebecca was in the fifth grade she picked up a copy of Robert A. Heinlein's novel Space Cadet in her school library. That got her hooked on speculative fiction: science fiction at first, then fantasy and later horror. As a grad student in English at the University of Pennsylvania, she developed and taught the school's first undergraduate classes in science fiction and fantasy. She still loves speculative fiction and reads a lot of nonfiction as well. Her interests include evolutionary biology, Himalayan travel and polar exploration, and archaeology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devon Loves the Praying Mantis, April 25, 2005

By 

Zachary Hackett (Reno, Nevada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Praying Mantis (Living Things) (Library Binding)

Rebecca Stefoff has written a gorgeous hardcover book for children that sucked Devon right in with the first page. Well actually, Ms. Stefoff got his attention with her excellent cover shot. That mantis head with those bulging eyes just grabbed his attention as we passed it in the store. "Book to be mine," he said and never one to turn down a child's request for a book, I picked it up and I'm glad I did. Big print so it's very easy for Devon to point to the letters he knows (and he knows all of them). Informative in a very interesting way. Did you know there are over 1,800 different kinds of Preying Mantis? Did you know some of them even attack small birds and mice? Did you know that if you have a little boy, he'll absolutely go gaga over this book? Well, now you do. I whole heartedly recommend Rebecca Stefoff's "Praying Mantis", her photographs are astonishingly good and I should know, because Devon's mom is a photographer and has taken plenty of bug pictures herself, so when Devon revels in these wonderful photos, he knows he is seeing quality.