Spiders

Spiders is the first in what is now a trilogy of books (and what I hope will be a long-running series) by Nic Bishop about some of the world's smallest animals and insects. Bishop does a great job of distilling the basic information about spiders, such as diet, life cycle and anatomy, into basic sentences that newly confident readers can understand and read on their own. Each page highlights one particular sentence with a larger font in a contrasting color that will pull browsers in. Almost every photo has a caption which includes extra interesting facts. What really sets Bishop's books apart though is the stunning photography. The photographs of the spiders in this book are so clear and close that you can count the hairs on each show more spider's legs. Kids (and adults) will want to spend hours poring over the details in the photographs. Bishop also includes a note at the back detailing some of the places he traveled to get his photographs and describing some of the techniques he uses to photograph. He very clearly states that many of his photographs come from spiders he has raised himself so that he can capture specific moments in their life cycles. An index is included at the back of the book which makes it more report-friendly as well as a glossary of the few more technical terms that can be found in the text. I can't recommend this series of books enough - they're simply fascinating. show less

Nic Bishop housed many different types of spiders and photographed every detail of a spider's life (from anatomy, molting, mating, and characteristics). The pictures were up close and very intriging. I don't like spiders, but this book made me read more. I think this will be a great resource tool when I introduce life science.

Before I read this book, I knew I was not very fond of spiders or other insects for that matter. I did not realize, however, how much I truly despised spiders until I flipped through the pages. Kudos to Nic Bishop and his fabulous photography used in this book! It is possibly his innovative photography of the spiders that sparked my unknown hatred of these creatures. Each page features a vibrant, graphic picture of a different spider with both facts of spiders in general and facts of the specific spider depicted on the page. What is even worse is the beauty of the spiders Bishop captured. He makes them look so beautiful in his photographs; it is this, perhaps, what made them look even more frightening to me. It is no wonder Nic Bishop show more won the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book award. show less

This book is a great informational book about spiders and I absolutely loved it even though I am terrified of spiders. There are various photographs throughout the book that are very detailed and clear. The colors throughout the photographs and pages are beautiful. The book provides a great deal of information about spiders, and not just general information but information about various types of spiders. It talks about the characteristics, features, appetite, and qualities about the spiders. I really liked how the book included great text features such as captions, a table on contents, different text fonts and colors, an index, and glossary. I also really liked that it was a bit interactive and it included a pull out page that enlarged show more the photograph a bit. I think that this book is very educational but it keeps the readers engaged and hooked, it is a fascinating book. show less

This brightly colored book is fun and educational. I had a hard time reading it because I hate spiders, but I wanted to see what was next. The eight eyes that can see several directions at once, and hair that is so sensitive it can feel a flying insect nearby make spiders appear to be straight out of a science fiction movie. I still hate them, but page after page, this book is hard to put down.

Capturing detailed pictures of spiders shedding their skin, spinning webs, jumping many feet, eating their prey and doing a mating dance has to be a hard task to accomplish. Nic Bishop tackled this task and did so with great success. The stunning pictures of the various spiders, accomplishing various tasks will amaze any onlooker. I must say that, although I am not afraid of spiders, I am not particularly fond of them either. So, with every turn of the page, I find myself torn between my new found curiosity and fear of spiders. Either way, the book is worth reading!

Awesome photographs, but the writing was not as strong. I think the book is meant to be an introduction to spiders for young learners. But I am not sure what the learner is supposed to take away. It begins with "spiders are meat eaters, like lions and tigers. But they are much more scary!" (Nic Bishop p.3) If the purpose is to introduce young readers to spiders, why start with an intro stating they are scarier than lions and tigers? It seems like this just reinforces the idea that spiders are scary. The information offered is very basic too, which makes it less interesting as an adult. But like I said earlier, the photographs are top notch.