Black Widows

November 1, 2018

K-Gr 2-Eye-catching photographs and easy-to-read text highlight these eight-legged creatures. A description of the spider capturing prey opens each book, followed by facts about physical features, habitats, and a couple of key behaviors. The language will be accessible to early readers, with short, direct sentences and mostly simple vocabulary used throughout the series. Questions are posed to readers, and then answered, adding some variety to the narrative flow. Well-chosen photographs provide vivid examples of the basic information. A full view of a garden spider's web, for example, is followed by an excellent close-up of the spider's claws on a single strand, with scenes of captured insects shown on subsequent page turns. Images consistently support the content, providing useful depictions of spiderlings, body parts, and more. VERDICT Strong visuals and age-appropriate text make this a first choice for younger readers.

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2018
Grades K-3 If there's one fear that gets instilled in us early, it's of spiders. But even though the An Eye on Spiders series (7 new titles) picks some of the most feared arachnids to introduce (tarantulas, anyone?), it sticks to basic biological facts and avoids any outright frightening features. The female star of Black Widows is notable for the venom she injects into her prey, her aggressive mating habits (where her name comes from), and her black-and-red markings?her poor male counterpart is a drab brown. Photo-illustrated and with simple, repetitive text, these volumes contain tools to support emerging readers. An image glossary for in-text vocab words and habitat map help readers contextualize, while a parent-and-teacher section at the start will assist in guided reading. These books are bold introductions to species variation and early language comprehension.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)