Rattlesnakes

March 1, 2005
Gr 2-4 -In each of these slender introductions, short paragraphs of large-print text describe basic anatomy, distinctive physical characteristics, habitats, hunting method, diet, birth of young, natural enemies, and defense mechanisms. Feeding habits are also included in "Rattlesnakes" and "Vampire Bats". Most of the color photographs adequately depict their subjects; however, a couple in "Wolf" are so murky that it is hard to distinguish the body parts they are supposed to show. A few photos are of questionable usefulness, such as the shot of a pile of rocks in "Jumping" (the caption states that the rocks are likely nesting places). The flat texts are comprised of short, choppy sentences. No topic is discussed in detail and, as a result, some important facts are omitted. For instance, "Vampire" states that "Most animals do not feel the vampire bat's bite," but does not explain why. Other introductions to the same animals, aimed at about the same age level, provide more detailed information and have superior illustrations, such as Alice B. McGinty's "The Jumping Spider" and "The Wolf Spider" (both Rosen, 2002), Jim Arnosky's "All about Rattlesnakes" (Scholastic, 1998), and Anne Welsbacher's "Vampire Bats" (Capstone, 2001)." -Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library"

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