Snake and Lizard

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4These introductions focus on pairs of animals belonging to the same class. Each double-page section is devoted to a different topic, with material on each creature given separately, e.g., a page with snake information alternates with a page on lizards. The texts briefly describe the animals' habitats, defense mechanisms, hunting methods, diet, senses, mating behavior, birth, and development of young. However, while the concept of comparing and contrasting the characteristics of related creatures is intriguing, it is not successfully executed in these superficial treatments. In Snake, the text states that snakes have loose-hinged jaws so that they can "open their mouths extra wide to eat large animals." This implies that all snakes eat large prey, but this is true of only the giant snake species, such as the anaconda. In discussing senses, the text points out that "lizards have very good eyesight," but fails to mention snakes' vision. Spider does not describe how either of the animals feed. In a discussion of poisonous spiders and scorpions dangerous to humans, no examples are given. The placement of the "It's amazing!" feature next to photos creates confusion. Sometimes it serves as a picture caption, while at others it presents facts unrelated to the illustrations. Sandra Markle's Outside and Inside Snakes (1995) and Outside and Inside Spiders (1994, both Atheneum); Claudia Schnieper's Lizards (Carolrhoda, 1990); and Laurence Pringle's Scorpion Man (S & S, 1994) are better organized, better written, and more detailed titles.Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library