Snakes

Mary Stevens is a teacher-librarian in Kitchener.

Snakes is composed of an attractive balance of text, informative
illustrations, and exquisite photographs. The text avoids condescension,
and is both clear and sequential. The factual tone helps disarm some
readers’ dislike of snakes and their habits. Illustrations and
photographs would interest and inform younger readers unable as yet to
unlock the text. It is not a field guide, yet the comprehensive index
makes information on specific species accessible.

The book examines first, the anatomical similarities among all snakes
that ensure their survival under diverse conditions, then, each of the
10 families of snakes under the topics of hunting, reproduction, and
adaptation to the environment. Latin names are used to refer to the
families not only to avoid confusion with common names but also to give
readers an introduction to the notion of classification, a scheme which
the author points out is far from fixed but shifts with added knowledge.

The reader is left marveling at the incredible variety of snakes, from
the 4-inch thread snake to the 20-foot anaconda and 32-foot python
(small cavil—the text is not metric throughout). The author, Eric S.
Grace, possesses substantial academic and authorial credentials, yet it
is his enthusiasm for his subject and his awareness of humanity’s
place in “the community of living things” that bring about
appreciation for this often reviled life form. Snakes would be a
valuable reference book in elementary or juvenile collections or a great
gift for the library of a nature lover. Highly recommended.