Snakes and Lizards Book

Describes the characteristics that snakes and lizards have in common as well as those things that make them different.

Seth Berg - Children's Literature

This is a nice looking book with colorful photos and a few accompanying sentences of information in large type. Each two page spread focuses on a single trait such as body heat or smelling. In each case, there is a perfect photo that clearly illustrates the topic, such as a snake with its tongue extended picking up smells. The text is also careful to point out the differences between snakes and lizards when it comes to shedding, hearing, and having legs or eyelids. Although the information is accurate and interesting, the writing suffers from a serious overuse of exclamation points in sentences telling us facts such as snakes and lizards "are both reptiles!" Even though the photos are spectacular, curious readers may be disappointed that the text only covers general topics and never tells us the names of any of the representative species. Overall, this book provides a good introduction to the science of reptiles for youngsters and encourages them to pursue further research. 2004, Yellow Umbrella Books/Capstone Press, Ages 4 to 8.