From the I Can Read Book series, this colorful volume, created in cooperation with the Wildlife Conservation Society, discusses the physical characteristics and typical behaviors of snakes as well as their place in the world. Simply written but precise, the text covers basic information succinctly. Thomson offers a particularly memorable image when she informs children that if their mouths and bodies were like a snake's, they "could swallow a watermelon." Clear, colorful, well-focused photos offer close-up views of snakes in action. Short and informative, for independent reading or for sharing with younger children.

The photos of snakes in this book, while interesting, occasionally have grainy backgrounds or omit the habitat. However, the simple text, covering snake physiology, prey, and molting, among other subjects, is descriptive, and readers may appreciate the large, well-spaced typeface.

Here's a way for emergent readers to get closer to snakes—much, much closer. Thomson presents an array of general but well-chosen basic facts that highlight her reptilian topic's common physical features and diverse behaviors, while clearly conveying the message that snakes play an important role in nature. Children are more likely to pore over the big color photos, however—most of which were shot within inches of a scaly body or staring ophidian face. With the exception of a rattler, the snakes here are not specifically identified, nor are there leads to further details for budding herpetologists to discover. Still, this easy reader provides an engrossing introduction to a perennially fascinating subject. (Nonfiction. 6-8)

Gr 1-3-Clear color photos accompany an informative text in this easy reader. Habitats, physiology, hunting patterns, and prey are touched on, as is the snake's place in the animal kingdom and the effect human development has on these slithery reptiles. Similar in reading level to Lucille Recht Penner's more informative S-S-Snakes! (Random, 1994) and Patricia Lauber's nicely crafted Snakes Are Hunters (HarperCollins, 1989), this book will help fill the incessant demands for simple nonfiction on a popular topic.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.