Snakes!: Strange and Wonderful - Hardcover

Laurence Pringle has written 108 books for young readers, many of them award-winning science titles. He is the recipient of three major awards for his body of work-the Eva L. Gordon Award for Children's Science Literature, the Washington Post-Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Prize from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He lives in West Nyack, New York-a few miles from Rockland Lake, once "the ice box of New York City."

Grade 1-5–In this concise overview, short paragraphs describe these remarkable reptiles' major physical and behavioral characteristics and highlight some distinctive traits of several different species. An addenda outlines snakes' role in world mythology, their ecological importance, and efforts to preserve their habitats. More than three dozen species from around the world are depicted in the realistic watercolors. Two-page paintings showcase some snakes, while smaller, boxed illustrations offer views of others. Captions provide their common names and average sizes. The narrative is well organized and clearly written. Pringle's book covers the same topics as Dorothy Hinshaw Patent's Slinky, Scaly, Slithery Snakes (Walker, 2000), but in more detail, and Henderson's watercolors are more precise regarding body shapes and coloration. While Seymour Simon's Snakes (HarperCollins, 1992) offers more information on growth patterns, snake families, and egg-laying behavior, Pringle's volume provides more facts on senses and depicts a greater number of species. With its crisp writing and profuse illustrations, it will please both browsers and report writers.–Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library
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