Simon & Schuster Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6. This profusely illustrated introduction surveys over 100 assorted insects and arachnids. A preface describes the animals' general characteristics, some special anatomical features, and the major differences between the two classes. The bulk of the material is organized into eight chapters, each of which concentrates on a group of creatures that share certain characteristics. For instance, one chapter examines insect predators such as mantids and dragonflies, while another looks at members of the order Lepidoptera. Each chapter begins with a general discussion of the subject and a greatly enlarged, full-color photo of a representative species. An illustrated "catalog" of about a dozen different invertebrates follows. The text is concise and well organized, but some information is unclear. For example, in referring to the mating behavior of the crab spider, the text reads, "This spider...does not make webs, but the smaller males sometimes use their silk to tie the females down before mating." Without some prior knowledge of spider behavior, the sentence is unclear?females sometimes mistake the smaller males as prey, and that is the purpose of their binding the females. Laurence Mound's Insect (Knopf, 1990) offers similar information; however, Johnson's book is more tightly organized and it covers a number of species not included elsewhere. More detailed information on a greater number of spiders is available in Jennifer Dewey's Spiders Near and Far (Dutton, 1993). Despite the book's aforementioned minor flaws, this will be a useful guide to the insect world.?Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5. This large-format book identifies families of insects in short paragraphs of text accompanied by large-scale, full-color paintings and photographs. Well-labeled diagrams identify the body types and parts common to many insects and spiders. Within each large category (flies, beetles, etc.), a double-page spread focuses on one member of the group, such as the honeybee or dragonfly, offering a closer look at its stages of development, habits, and special characteristics. Crisp and well-designed, this is an inviting visual introduction to insects and arachnids. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689811632
• ISBN-13: 978-0689811630
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #20,549 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great bug stuff for kids, July 15, 2001

By A Customer

Our kids loved this book! Not only was it written well enough to keep their interest but it left them wanting more! The descriptions were detailed enough for young minds but did not become a lecture so that they "glazed over". It made our kids enjoy their learning time. The illustrations were large, detailed and numerous. This book was great for the ages it was written for and even younger; as our three and five year olds loved the pictures and started asking questions right away! This was an over all great book to help get a kid's thirst for learning started!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great "bug book", September 15, 2005

By	Mary B. Cooper "midnight_duck" (Birmingham, AL USA) - See all my reviews

My 3-year-old grandson is a big Spider-man fan, and he told me he wanted a book about spiders and "bugs." I bought this book because I liked the illustrations. They were clear and accurate, but not frightening. My grandson loves it. He actually goes to bed with it. He and I alternate pointing to the pictures and asking each other, "What is this?" Even though the text is for much older children, the pictures are ageless.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children's Guide, January 10, 2007

By	Karen A. Staggs (Hobbs, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Very easy book for an 8 yr old to read. Much info and pictures.