Fiddlehead Forest

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Written and Illustrated by Jana Curll

If a tree falls in the forest……the other creatures in the habitat will hear them. This is a humorous graphic novel that explains creatures at the ecosystem created by nurse logs.Fern decides to bring together their friends: Millipede, Moth, Slug, Lichen and Mushroom to figure out how to help a fallen tree get back upright. Each creature has a different idea to help the tree but the reality is, the tree is now a log.

I would highly recommend this graphic for elementary school and plan on purchasing the rest in the series. It fits well with science curriculum and is clearly explains many organisms in this habitat with clear diagrams and easy to read words/explanations. The images are fun, bright and clear thus attracting readers.

Cupig Saves Christmas

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Written by Claire Tattersfield and illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr.

Cupig loves Love. She also loves Christmas. So, when Santa falls sick and makes an emergency call for help, she knows she’s the right one for the job. After a short briefing, the Santa substitute (still wearing her heart-festooned underwear) sets off to deliver gifts. Unfortunately, she perceives the typical Christmas cheer (decoration, lights, cookies & milk, etc.) as hazards that must be fixed and proceeds to take care of everything. With all the decoration dismantling and food safety protocols maintained, she forgets to leave the gifts at all the homes she visits. Upon her return to the North Pole, Santa explains her mistakes and she promptly returns to all the houses to fix her fixes. She also leaves gifts, thank goodness. On Christmas morning, she opens her gift, a lovely pair of Christmas underwear and understands that giving is a wonderful way to show love, too!

Cupig is a very confident hero, who is willing to acknowledge her mistakes and fix them. Rhyming text and bright collage illustrations make this a fun new holiday read. Recommended.

Black Widows

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Written by Jenna Lee Gleisner

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

In Black Widow Spiders, readers learn that only the female is black and red. The male is much smaller and is brown. That’s a surprise! These spiders have venom that is 15 times more powerful than rattlesnake venom, which means we need to stay away. Young readers will learn this and so much more after reading Black Widow Spiders. A fun activity described at the end of the book is to a little research and find out what other animals use red or another bright color to warn away other animals. This book won’t stay on the shelf long. Highly recommended.

Wolf Spiders

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Written by Becca Becker

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

In Wolf Spiders, readers learn that there are over 2,300 different species. They are known for their long legs that they use to sprint after their prey and pounce – just like a wolf! This book is full of facts presented in accessible chunks along with stunning photos and labeled diagrams. Hand this book to your young readers and they’ll be hunting for the others in the series! Highly recommended.

Water Spiders

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Written by Natalie Deniston

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

Did you know that water spiders are the only spiders that spend their entire lives underwater? They collect air bubbles from the surface of the water and bring them together under their web to create a diving bell – a place where they can breathe air while underwater! This is just one fact about this amazing creature in the book, Water Spiders. Young readers will enjoy the information presented in accessible chunks with accompanying photos and diagrams. Finish up this book by creating a diving bell just like the water spider! Highly recommended.

Trapdoor Spiders

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Written by Becca Becker

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

Trapdoor Spiders begins with an insect wandering the forest floor, only to have a spider jump through a trapdoor and grab in to scurry back to its burrow, closing the trapdoor behind it. What follows is a brief introduction to the anatomy, reproduction, habitat and habits of a this particular spider. It spends most of its time in its burrow, safe from predators and bad weather, waiting for its dinner to walk by. Readers can finish by building their own dwelling with a trapdoor, just like the spider! Buy this for your updated library collection. Highly recommended.

Tarantulas

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Written by Becca Becker

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

Tarantulas is a unique spider book in that some young readers may already have some prior knowledge of the topic, given that this spider can be a pet. Readers will learn more about the 900 or so species of tarantulas and what makes these spiders so unique. Labeled diagrams and photo illustrations add further to reader knowledge. Directions for making a pipe cleaner tarantula top off a high interest book for young scientists. Is a visit to the pet store in the future? Highly recommended.

Jumping Spiders

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Written by Becca Becker

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

In Jumping Spiders, readers learn that these spiders live up to their name – they jump (sometimes up to 30 times their body length!). These small (all under one inch) and mighty spiders leap to catch their prey and escape predators. They live everywhere, except Antarctica, and there are over 5000 different species of jumping spiders! Your young readers will even learn that these clever arachnids have been trained to jump on cue. What else will they learn? Highly recommended.

Huntsman Spiders

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Written by Jenna Lee Gleisner

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

In Huntsman Spiders, readers learn about their size (up to the size of a dinner plate!), habitat, diet, reproduction (they don’t eat their mates) and hunting skills. Accompanying photos and illustrations are clear and often labeled. Hand this book to a budding scientist, who wants to know about a spider that doesn’t spin a web and wait for food! Highly recommended.

Garden Spiders

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Written by Becca Becker

Pogo Books: All About Arachnids is an eight book series that is written in a format that is appropriate for young readers that are ready for a bit more complexity in sentence structure. Typical nonfiction features include: table of contents, index, glossary, labeled diagrams and illustrations, headings and bold typed words. “Activities & Tools” presents a simple STEM activity and “To Learn More” notes ways to gain more information. Each book has high interest photos and details habitats, behavior, anatomy and diet of a particular spider. Add this series to your library for those newer readers that are ready for something more.

Garden Spiders takes the reader into the world of one of the more common spider species. Readers will learn about their webs, eating habits, reproduction and variety of appearance. Accompanying photos are clear and vibrant and the close-ups are amazing! The STEM activity, making a spider web, uses common materials and is simple to do. Hand this book to your spider fans. They’ll be heading outside to observe their local garden spiders after learning all about them! Highly recommended.