Rodents & Small Mammals

Outside and Inside Rats and Mice

Name: Outside and Inside Rats and Mice
Author: Sandra Markle
ISBN: 9781416975717

by Sandra Markle

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Overview

What happens when a rat's tooth wears out from biting through really hard material, like wire? How can a mouse jump straight up nearly seven times its body length? How does a rat's long, naked tail help it regulate its body temperature? Outside and Inside Rats and Mice answers all these questions and many others. With stunning color photographs of rats and mice — from developing babies to adults — and clear, accessible text, Sandra Markle invites children to learn all about these unique and fascinating creatures.

Curious young readers will delight in this close look at rats and mice — from the inside out!

Synopsis

What happens when a rat's tooth wears out from biting through really hard material, like wire? How can a mouse jump straight up nearly seven times its body length? How does a rat's long, naked tail help it regulate its body temperature? Outside and Inside Rats and Mice answers all these questions and many others. With stunning color photographs of rats and mice -- from developing babies to adults -- and clear, accessible text, Sandra Markle invites children to learn all about these unique and fascinating creatures.

Curious young readers will delight in this close look at rats and mice -- from the inside out!

Children's Literature

This entry in the excellent series, "Outside and Inside," tries to win understanding of a critter most children and adults feel ambivalent about at best. Markle compares rodent hands, ability to jump, construction and use of teeth and other aspects to that of humans. She makes complex understandings easy to grasp;for instance, by telling readers that whiskers fan out to sense when passages are getting narrow, much as a person would extend arms and hands to feel along a passageway. Text is laid out with plenty of white space, generous close-up photographs of mice in natural outdoor and indoor habitats, nursing babies, and one endearing picture of a jumping mouse curled up for the winter. Specialized vocabulary is unobtrusively italicized and rounded up in a glossary. Markle also includes six questions that ask readers to look back while she points out some other interesting detail or asks a thoughtful question. It's a wonderful book, on an unpopular subject;one that brings nature a little closer to our understanding. The format is perfect for reading aloud, school inquiry or report writing, or for family information. 2001, Atheneum, $16.00. Ages 7 to 10. Reviewer:Susan Hepler

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Editorials

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-A clearly written, vivid text combined with striking color photographs results in a fascinating study of these creatures. Emphasis is more on the outside-behavior, physical description, and environment-than on the inside of these animals. However, there is an informative section illustrated with an X ray and photographs from dissections discussing internal anatomy and physiology. The author effectively uses questions and answers to involve readers, and a section at the end of the book called "Looking Back" encourages them to analyze photographs and draw conclusions about what they read. This will be a useful source for reports and of interest to browsers.-Cynthia M. Sturgis, Ledding Library, Milwaukie, OR Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

While readers may not share the author's enthusiasm for her subject, they will nevertheless be captivated by her clear and detailed discussion of rats and mice inside and out. Markle uses photographs and brief text to examine some of the 300 different kinds of rats and their smaller relatives, mice. Close-ups show the continuously growing front teeth, able to gnaw through plastic, wood, and wire; the thumb-like toe on the front paw, which enables mice to pick up food; sturdy toenails, for climbing; and the nearly naked tail, which helps the rat cool down when it's hot. An X-ray shows the many-boned internal skeleton that gives the rat flexibility, whiskers to help when wiggling through tight spaces, and eyes and ears placed for maximum information-gathering. There are also photographs of internal organs showing heart, lungs, stomach, intestine, and more. Many photographs show the development of baby rats and mice and some show rat behavior. The author concludes with a glossary/index, questions to answer while using the text, and picture sources. A fine addition to the outstanding "Outside and Inside" series. (Nonfiction. 8-10)