Bats (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A clever format and succinctly written text distinguish this offering by a prolific author. Gibbons describes bats' general physical characteristics, special traits of some half-dozen species, flying methods, use of echolocation, diet, natural habitats, hibernation, and the birth and development of young. She also discusses the decimation of bats around the world due to loss of habitats and pollution and the efforts to protect the world's only truly flying mammals. A final page offers additional miscellaneous facts. The text is clearly written and well organized. Scientific terms such as "nocturnal," "membrane," and "roosts" are clearly defined in context. Double borders enclose vivid paintings of bats in their natural habitats. While Ann Earle's Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats (HarperCollins, 1995) and Betsy Maestro's Bats: Night Fliers (Scholastic, 1994) cover similar ground, Gibbons's title makes an appealing addition to natural history sections.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

Taking issue with the unkind and untrue things said about bats through the years, Gibbons presents children with a more favorable introduction to the species. The text clearly describes the many types of bats as well as their physical characteristics, habits, and life cycle. Deep-toned illustrations dominate the pages, showing bats in action against midnight-blue or moonlit skies. The occasional splashes of color light up brilliantly against the dark backgrounds. Well suited for classroom use, this book makes a good case for bats as an admirable part of the natural world. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 30 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823416372
• ISBN-13: 978-0823416370
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #169,178 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introduction for young naturalists., February 7, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bats (Library Binding)

Bats examines different kinds of bats, their abilities, and how bats fit into the world, providing whimsical yet accurate drawings of bats to accompany the basic facts of their world-wide distribution and natural history. No photos, but the coverage is wider-ranging than many.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL illustrations - narrative "just right", October 5, 2004

By	a reader in DFW - See all my reviews

What an OUTSTANDING book!! We like Gail Gibbons but often find her books a bit wordy for our newly 3-year old. It's not a problem to just talk about the photos or edit narrative for the age of the child, of course, but the perfect balance of this book, BATS, is what makes it such a fabulous find. The illustrations are both realistic and varied, and the narrative strikes the perfect balance between presentation of interesting and relevant fact, and length of text. Our daughter loves bats and this was a perfect book for our family. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! In our opinion, approx. age range 2.5 - 8 years.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, November 18, 2007

By	L. Brown (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This past halloween, my 4 yr. old was learning about bats at pre-school, so we went to the library and checked this book out. He was so disappointed when we returned it, that I had to buy it for him. My 7 yr.old son enjoyed it as well. This book balances accessible written information just right with detailed drawings of a wide variety of bats. If your pre-schooler to grade 3 child is interested in bats, this is a good buy.