The Spider (Disgusting Critters)

Gr 1-2--This series adds two more to its lineup of silly, whimsical facts. The cartoon illustrations and use of speech bubbles make for a winning mixture of entertainment and information. Bold colors and fonts draw attention to important words, which beginning readers will find useful. Humor abounds in both titles. In Spider, the sentence "Some spiders even mimic their prey" is accompanied by an image of an arachnid pretending to be a burger as it stalks its prey (with the speech bubble reading, "Hee hee, he doesn't suspect a thing!"). Lice states that these insects are about the size of a sesame seed, while a text bubble reads, "I might be small, but to your parents, I'm scarier than a lion." The illustrations depict a louse on one page and a large lion paw on the next to add context. Ample spacing throughout makes for an effective layout. VERDICT The comic charm will appeal to a wide berth of new and reluctant readers.--Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

..".. adorable little cartoon characters .... accompanied by factoids to give a new dimension to these creepy crawlies .... Gravel hit the sweet spot between science, grossness and silly humour that appealed to teachers, parents and young children alike...cute, charming tour guides in these baby biology courses."
— National Post

"The cartoon illustrations and use of speech bubbles make for a winning mixture of entertainment and information. Bold colors and fonts draw attention to important words, which beginning readers will find useful. Humor abounds in both titles .... Ample spacing throughout makes for an effective layout. The comic charm will appeal to a wide berth of new and reluctant readers." - School Library Journal

"As part of a series about disgusting creatures, this book examines the spider. It covers such topics as the spider's habitats (everywhere but outer space), the silk it spins (it can trap prey and makes a nifty bowtie) and its parenting practices (female spiders carry their eggs in a silk purse). This humorous text will catch young readers in its web!"
—Canadian Children's Book Centre