GENRE 1: PICTURE BOOKS

Here you will find reviews of books for children and young adults. These reviews are being done as assignments for my Literature for Children and Young Adults class at Texas Women's University.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

AMAZING BATS

 
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Simon, Seymour. 2005. AMAZING BATS. New York, New York. Scholastic.
ISBN: 0-439-80178-8

AWARDS:
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Award Gold Seal

PLOT SUMMARY:
            “There are about a thousand kinds.” They live in caves, trees and roofs. Some eat fruit, some eat insects, some eat other small animals and some even drink blood.  Bats are fascinating creatures and the book AMAZING BATS by Seymour Simon will appeal to children. The book tells interesting facts about a variety of bats and is accompanied by pictures which are close ups of these bats. Boys especially will love the photos which accompany the book.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The book, AMAZING BATS, dispels many myths that children have about bats. Simon does this by relating basic, scientific information about bats and their habits and habitats.  Being a former science teacher and also considering his reputation in the field, I believe it is safe to assume that Seymour Simon is very knowledgeable on the subject of bats even though sources are not cited about where his facts come from. The photos which accompany the book do have sources cited and are a definite complement to the text. While some photos are a single page spread and others are double page spreads, they almost bring the bats to life for the reader. Details of the bats shown in the photos are captivating and show the differences between the various bats. After reading this book, it would not surprise me to have children wanting to learn more about bats. The tidbits of information gleaned from this book will whet the appetite of the reader to find out more.

REVIEWS:
School Library Journal:
Simon does a good job dispelling myths, adding trivia, and drawing readers
           in:”

CONNECTIONS:
            After reading the book, students can:
 write to Seymour Simon
make origami bats
                        Do more study on bat habitats and create a “bat habitat”
Other books by Seymour Simon:
                                    SNAKES
                                    THE UNIVERSE
                                    PYRAMIDS & MUMMIES
                                    BABY ANIMALS


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