The Spider (Disgusting Critters)

by Elise Gravel (Author)

The Spider (Disgusting Critters)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

Part of a series of hilarious nonfiction about disgusting creatures, this book looks at the spider. It covers such topics as the spider's habitats (pretty much everywhere but outer space), the silk it spins (it can trap prey and makes a nifty bowtie), and its parenting practice (female spiders carry around their eggs in a silk purse).

Although silly and off-the-wall, The Spider contains factual information that will both amuse and teach at the same time.

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School Library Journal

Gr 1-2--This series adds two more to its lineup of silly, whimsical facts. The cartoon illustrations and use of speech bubbles make for a winning mixture of entertainment and information. Bold colors and fonts draw attention to important words, which beginning readers will find useful. Humor abounds in both titles. In Spider, the sentence "Some spiders even mimic their prey" is accompanied by an image of an arachnid pretending to be a burger as it stalks its prey (with the speech bubble reading, "Hee hee, he doesn't suspect a thing!"). Lice states that these insects are about the size of a sesame seed, while a text bubble reads, "I might be small, but to your parents, I'm scarier than a lion." The illustrations depict a louse on one page and a large lion paw on the next to add context. Ample spacing throughout makes for an effective layout. VERDICT The comic charm will appeal to a wide berth of new and reluctant readers.--Melissa Smith, Royal Oak Public Library, MI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

..".. adorable little cartoon characters .... accompanied by factoids to give a new dimension to these creepy crawlies .... Gravel hit the sweet spot between science, grossness and silly humour that appealed to teachers, parents and young children alike...cute, charming tour guides in these baby biology courses."
— National Post

"The cartoon illustrations and use of speech bubbles make for a winning mixture of entertainment and information. Bold colors and fonts draw attention to important words, which beginning readers will find useful. Humor abounds in both titles .... Ample spacing throughout makes for an effective layout. The comic charm will appeal to a wide berth of new and reluctant readers." - School Library Journal

"As part of a series about disgusting creatures, this book examines the spider. It covers such topics as the spider's habitats (everywhere but outer space), the silk it spins (it can trap prey and makes a nifty bowtie) and its parenting practices (female spiders carry their eggs in a silk purse). This humorous text will catch young readers in its web!"
—Canadian Children's Book Centre

Elise Gravel
Elise Gravel is an award-winning author/illustrator from Quebec. She was the winner of the 2013 Governor General's Award for Children's Illustration in French, and is well-known in Quebec for her original, wacky picture books. She has published a number of books with US publisher Blue Apple and is currently working on a graphic novel for Roaring Brook Press. Having completed her studies in graphic design, Elise found herself quickly swept up into the glamorous world of illustration. Her old design habits drive her to work a little text here and there into her drawings and she loves to handle the design of her assignments from start to finish. She is inspired by social causes and is likes projects that can handle a good dose of eccentricity.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781770496644
Lexile Measure
530
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tundra Books (NY)
Publication date
February 10, 2015
Series
Disgusting Critters
BISAC categories
JNF003120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | Insects, Spiders, etc.
JNF028000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Humor | General
JNF046000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Readers | Intermediate
Library of Congress categories
Spiders
Alabama Camellia Award
Nominee 2015 - 2016

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