Snake

From School Library Journal Grade 4-6-- An enticing blend of concise text and outstanding full-color photographs. Arnold briefly describes the physical and behavioral characteristics of snakes in general, featuring subjects on exhibit in the reptile house at the Los Angeles Zoo. She then discusses special traits of a variety of venomous and nonpoisonous species and their ecological importance. An interesting sidelight is the information on how the zoo cares for the reptiles under its protection. Close to four dozen appealing photos depicting about two dozen species serve as extensions of the succinctly written, well-organized narrative. There are a number of good introductions to snakes available, such as Johnson's Snakes (Lerner, 1986), which provides similar general information but details how snakes mate and includes their scientific names. Cole's A Snake's Body (Morrow, 1981) offers more data on anatomy. Still, the excellent photographs offered in Snake will make it a valuable addition to most children's collections. --Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.