Customer Reviews

Snakes!

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The 1-star reviews for this book are just not right. If snakes frightened my kids, I would NOT read this to them to begin with! Hello???

The author tells you exactly to whom he's writing:

"You're the kind of kid
Who likes to wrestle squid
Or battle in the bathtub with a shark

In no uncertain terms
You love the squirms of worms
Or hunting after werewolves in the dark"

On the back flap, Greenberg's bio states that he was dubbed "our emerging poet of Gross" by the New York Times! So he's trying to help the parents make wise reading selections for our kids.

I have two boys, 6 and 3. We are all very 'in' to science and nature. They catch bugs, worms, snakes (a few) and frogs all the time. So the idea of snakes doesn't scare us, and this content is completely appropriate. The passages the other reviewers presented were copied faithfully, but what they found scary, we found delightful. This book takes the reader on a SAFARI of language!!!

Lots of snake and bug books are either dry non-fiction, or-in contrast to this one-just not that fun. I love it when I find books that make children want to know what a new word means. And this book puts in a context that could actually help them remember it!

It really is a great book.

My son from the age of 3 and up has loved these books and now in 4th grade is enjoying reading these books for AR points. With that being said, these aren't for everyone. They have a gross kind of humor that not everyone will appreciate. My son and I really enjoy them, WE really enjoy the play on words, the imagination, the very busy illustrations, and the range of vocabulary in the reading is helpful for a young child learning about the world. Not meaning to give the impression that I think they are all that educational about snakes, I would consider this type of writting to be very fictional and way-out-there imagination. The skunk book by this author is our favorite, but this one is fun, also.

This book is about a boy in his bed and snakes come out from under it and crawl all over and througout the house. It is written in clever rhyme with fantastic illustrations...probably the most eye gripping I've seen and I've been reading childrens book to my three girls for 9 years. They were all glued to this one again and again. Now, I can see the fear factor the other reviewer mentioned IF your kid has nightmares especially regarding snakes or things under their bed. I probably would not recomend for the younger set but five and up who can understand the humour in it and that it is just a book, it is great. It says things like "you can feel it in your ear, hideously near, then something heavy slides accross your toes" as you see it go over the boys toes. In the end after the snakes go all around the house and pour outside, the giant snake curls around the boy holding him in a grip but the snake has a cute smile on his face and it says "Then he hisses in your ear, I truly like you dear, and ssssssomeday (maybe) you will be releassssed" as if the snake is holding him fondly. Anyway, my kids loved it but each kid is different.

Another great book by David T.Greenburg. My grandson especially loved this book. We found the illustrations and story to be super.

My children ages 2 1/2 and 6 years old love this book. I can't wait to get the other books by this author.

We recieved this book as a multi-pack with more science related books. This book DOES NOT TEACH anything other than fear of snakes. The author seems to have found that small voice in the back of children's heads that only nurtures their deepest fears. I'm throwing it away. It only gives my children something to fear and nothing to learn.

I do not want to put terror into my children. I want them to respect, not fear, animals. As a teacher and a parent, I absolutely do not approve of this book.

This is the most HORRIBLE children's book I have ever encountered. I gave it one star because I had to. I think this quote from the book pretty much sums up the whole book. "And then it wraps you up within its coils,You feel a faint restriction of serpentine constriction, In moments you can barely breathe or cough, You face a scary issue, Is the boa going to squish you? It's impossible to yank the serpent off, even though you're bony, He clings like macaroni, It feels like you're about to be DECEASED." Now does that sound like a children's book to you?