Snakes

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4-A brief introduction to the sizes, shapes, and skin colorations within the snake kingdom. Gerholdt also outlines the types of habitats in which these reptiles can be found, their senses, defense mechanisms, diets, and how their young are born. Clear, captioned, full-color photographs accompany the text on almost every page. Of the 15 species depicted, all but the Burmese phython can be found in the U.S. While most of the text is clearly written, the information is sketchy at times. The book says little about snake anatomy and omits such topics as methods of locomotion, hunting and feeding techniques, use of venom, and mating behavior. Some of the material is incomplete. For instance, while the text mentions that snakes shed their skins, it does not explain why. Also, readers are told that ``Some snakes have bright colors to scare away their enemies,'' but does not tell them why this is so. The author states that ``Small snakes like the smooth green snake eat insects and caterpillars,'' but caterpillars are insects. Seymour Simon (HarperCollins, 1992) and Caroline Arnold (Morrow, 1991) have done more comprehensive introductions to the subject, and both have outstanding full-color photographs.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library