Spiders (First sight)

Part of a series which offers a view of different animals, through photographs, explanatory illustrations and a simple, informative text. This book on spiders concludes with a survival file examining the efforts to conserve animals in danger.

ea. vol: 32p. charts. diags. photogs. index. (First Sight Series). Gloucester Pr, dist. by Watts . 1988. PLB $10.90. Grade 4-6 These brief surveys offer no new information on their subject areas and omit useful data, although they do have visually exciting formats and succinctly written texts. Each title describes its animals' general physical and behavioral characteristics. Excellent color photographs and bright color drawings (some hues are exaggerated) complement short blocks of texts. Boxed inserts with additional facts also appear. Identification charts with color drawings of representative species drawn to scale are included at the end of each title. Colored dots indicate which continents the animals inhabit. Sparse directions for simple craft projects are given below each chart. Although the texts of each title are competently organized, clearly written, and accurate, they are flawed by the omission of important information. Most species are identified only by common names, not scientific ones, and the orders and families to which the animals belong are not mentioned. Minor errors in picture captions appear in two of the titles. Other titles on the same subjects provide much the same information in greater depth. Linely's The Lizard in the Jungle (Gareth Stevens, 1988) conveys a fuller understanding of the reptiles' natures and environments. Bargar's Anacondas and Pythons (both Rourke, 1987) are more tightly organized and provide scientific names of species. Dallinger's Spiders (Lerner, 1981) includes more information on web construction, gives scientific names of species, and identifies their families. Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.