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