From School Library Journal
Grade 2-3–In each of these sleekly formatted easy readers, a boxed text overlaid on color photo spreads outlines the chief physical and behavioral characteristics of the featured animal as well as distinctive characteristics of particular species.
Ants and
Snakes also mention natural enemies and defense mechanisms and include simple anatomical diagrams of representative animals. The best feature of all three titles is the photography. The enlargements of ants and bees, in particular, are so sharply focused that hairs on body parts, grains of pollen, etc., are plainly visible. Although the texts are clearly written, the first two books are flawed to some degree by oversimplification and the third by a factual error. For instance,
Ants implies that the change from larva to pupa is immediate;
Bees omits a description of the insects metamorphosis.
Snakes has a glaring error in the statement that All snakes lay eggs. Other titles offer more detailed information, albeit without the excellent photography. Ting Morriss
Ant (Smart Apple Media, 2004) and Joyce Miltons
Honeybees (Grosset & Dunlap, 2003)–aimed at a slightly higher reading level–both do a better job of describing insect metamorphosis. Dorothy Hinshaw Patents
Slinky, Scaly, Slithery Snakes (Walker, 2000) gives a more accurate description of snake reproduction.
–Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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