Spiders [Paperback]

Gail Gibbons (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Examines the physical characteristics, behavior, habitats, and different kinds of spiders.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-Gail Gibbons is well-known for her succinct, colorful treatment of numerous nonfiction topics. Spiders (Holiday House, 1993) is narrated by Suzanne Toren, whose mature, expressive voice carefully explains the page-turn signal (on one side) and that first the words at the bottom of the page will be read and then the words on the upper "picture" section of the page. Often the words on the pictures are labels, followed by the phonetic pronunciations, which are read more slowly and emphatically. Young readers will find the reading of the labels helpful, though nonreaders may be confused about just which item is which. Listeners are advised that most spiders don't hurt people, but youngsters may not have enough description of the black widow, which "can kill people," to prevent them from being frightened by any small black spider. Though not Gibbons' best work, her bright illustrations and simple text, pleasantly presented in read-along form, should be welcomed by budding entomologists.
Fritz Mitnick, Shaler North Hills Library, Glenshaw, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From Kirkus Reviews

An excellent science book by a frequent author. Within the triple borders of black and vividly colored lines framing each page, Gibbons uses deep green and blue backgrounds to set off transparent webs and drab spiders to fine advantage. In a succinct, informative text, she describes some of the 30,000 species of spiders, meanwhile illustrating assorted webs: sheet, tangled, funnel, triangle, and orb. Especially useful are carefully labeled side-by-side drawings of a spider's body and an insect's. A final page offers more odd facts--''Little Miss Muffet'' was probably recoiling from a meal of mashed spiders, ``a common cold remedy, about 200 years ago.'' Visually appealing, solid information. (Nonfiction. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (P) (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823410811
• ISBN-13: 978-0823410811
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 8.2 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #905,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Gibbons, Gail

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference, November 11, 2002

By 

A. Y. Smittle (Winchester, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiders (Paperback)

I read this book 2 years in a row for Spiders week at preschool. If you skip the history part, you're good! But its got a good reference book that is understandable at this age level. It talks about sizes, shapes and different webs. Very few non fiction books out there can be adapted for this age level with a variety of understanding---understanding this. But this is one of those books---and the kids love it too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars super spiders, May 18, 2006

By 

D. Stone (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spiders (Paperback)

Synopsis - Spiders is a nonfiction book. Readers will learn where the name spider came from, characteristics, and how they live. Gibbons demonstrates the changes that spiders go through as they grow. She also examines the variety of webs that different spiders make. Finally, the reader will learn about ways spiders catch insects and the habits of some particularly unusual spiders.

Evaluation - Spiders is a great informational book about a species that fascinates and scares children. The author, Gibbons, is an author of over 135 nonfiction books. She is not an expert in spiders, however she researches each topic prior to writing a book. The illustrations are colorful and engaging. They complement the story, adding a visual picture to the writing. Many illustrations also have labels to increase the reader's comprehension. The inclusion of real life photographs might have increased the educational value of the book. The book was written as a source of information about spiders for young children, ages four to about nine. Most of the text within the story is appropriate for the intended audience. The only area that might be hard for children to understand is the discussion about Greek Mythology and the origin of the word arachnid. There is no table of content or index within the story, but at the end of the book there is a page that offers interesting facts about spiders. This story is written for children in pre-kindergarten to third grade, although students writing reports or completing web quests in higher grade level might use the book as a source of information.