Spiders and their web sites - Softcover

Margery Facklam is the author of many award-winning nonfiction books for children, including Creepy, Crawly Caterpillars and The Big Bug Book. She lives in Clarence Center, New York.

Alan Male has worked as a professional illustrator for over twenty years and has illustrated more than twenty complete books. He specializes in scientific, natural history, prehistoric life, and human figure work. He lives in Cornwall, England.

Gr 3-5-This title boasts a clearly written, well-organized text, as well as an eye-catching, colorful format. A baker's dozen of arachnids-12 spiders and a spider look-alike-the daddy longlegs-are profiled in two-page sections. The lucid text briefly describes each creature's major physical and behavioral characteristics, focusing on the ways in which it employs spider silk. Featured creatures include the tarantula, black widow, purse web, bolas, and spitting spider. Alternating with the text is a full-color, close-up painting of the featured arachnid in action, usually with freshly captured prey. Smaller, labeled illustrations appear in a wide margin at the bottom of each page. Some show a particular process, such as the different stages of web construction or the stalking and capturing of prey; others diagram various body parts, such as fangs, poison ducts, etc., or depict related species. There's one minor omission-the book fails to list any arachnid Web sites. As the title itself plays on the word, their absence is puzzling. Jennifer Owings Dewey's Spiders Near and Far (Dutton, 1993; o.p.) and Sandra Markle's Outside and Inside Spiders (Atheneum, 1994) both provide more information on spider anatomy, general physical and behavioral characteristics, and reproduction. Although Facklam's title lacks the depth of these titles, it has definite browser appeal and will make a useful addition to natural-history sections.

Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library

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