School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

K-Gr 1 With hip and fun graphics, just enough "ick" factor, and plenty of facts, this title offers beginning readers a great deal of information about snails and slugs. McCloskey opens with a familiar ideasnails are slowbut springboards from that to unexpected tidbits such as how fast or slow snails move compared to other animals, why a lack of speed can be an advantage, and lots and lots about mucus. The author/illustrator quickly touches upon reproduction ("Snails shoot arrows at each other before they make babies") and even finds space to look at the creatures as favorites in the drawing habits of monks of olda segue into a spread devoted to how to draw a snail. VERDICT What a delight! Kindergartners will need some help with this one but will enjoy it, while first graders will savor the grossness on their own. Henrietta Verma, Credo Reference, Jackson Heights, NY

ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

As slugs with shells, snails perhaps lack charm. One look at McCloskey's affectionate portrayal quickly changes minds. Friendly and slimy, invitingly animated and yet realistic, the snails in these images trek across long, horizontally oriented, panel-less pages with beige backgrounds that give the natural colors a chance to pop. Following the snail, we gather information well-pitched for little readers, like how fast a snail moves compared to a turtle or a fly and what their natural predators are. And, of course, the good stuff: mucous. Ample page count is given to fascinating bits, like how they follow each other by their mucous trails, how their mucus can function as glue for their damaged shells, and how it enables them to travel safely on nearly any surface (including the blade of a knife!). This will be a particular joy for the science-­minded, but between spotting the snails hidden among rocks and taking a cue from the drawing lesson in back, there's plenty of fun here for casual readers, too.

Horn Book (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

McCloskey tackles the subject of snails (including plenty of talk about mucus--"YUCK!") in this early-reader-comics series entry. Facts are shared about snail species, sizes, habitats, and behavior. The acrylic illustrations are sometimes realistic, sometimes humorous. The omniscient, informational text is presented in all-caps while human characters and other animals react to the details through lighthearted, speech-bubbled side conversations.

Kirkus Reviews (Tue Jan 03 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Young naturalists will love McCloskey's look at snails.In a manner most unsnaillike, McClokey zooms from fact to fact as he informs and entertains readers with information about these surprisingly interesting gastropods. The pacing never feels rushed, however, as the facts transition as smoothly as if on a "road of slimy mucus." Readers will learn how slowly snails move as compared to other creatures, the advantages of moving slowly, and how they influence the journeys of other snails (spoiler alert: Mucus just may be involved). Fans of The Real Poop on Pigeons (2016) and We Dig Worms (2015) will get a kick out of this latest installment in the fact-based early graphic novel series. The information is paired with colorful cartoon illustrations that toe the line between caricature and surrealism. While the snails are the book's stars, they are observed by a group of racially diverse children. Savvy educators will appreciate the book's versatility: It would be the star of an intimate gross-book-themed storytime (due to its relatively small size) or may be used as the inspiration for a pre-K lesson plan on anything from wildlife and nature to gardening to body fluids.Overall, a fun read and a smart selection for any elementary nature shelf. (Graphic informational early reader. 6-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The fourth title in McCloskey-s Giggle and Learn series of leveled reader comics celebrates the notoriously poky mollusk. In distinctively quirky graphics, McCloskey shows snails ambling along on mucus trails and handily communicating via dialogue balloons. Three children learn about snails with readers, expressing enthusiasm and occasional revulsion in response. -Snails make a lot of mucus. With mucus, they can travel on any surface,- McCloskey writes. A chestnut-colored snail flagrantly demonstrates this point: -I can climb over a knife and not get hurt!- Readers will also learn that -every snail is both male and female- and -a snail-s eyes are weak, but it uses its lower tentacles to feel and smell.- McCloskey-s series continues to deliver an offbeat blend of science, humor, and a dynamic interplay between words and pictures. Ages 4-8. (May)