For the first to third grade set, spiders are fascinating and suitably gruesome, especially when looked at in EXTREME close-up. Amazing images show...
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Nov 02, 2008
Jess
rated it: 
Non-fiction - single topic
Sibert Honor Book
For grades 2-8
Stunning photographs accompany the text describing the life-cycle, habits and characteristics of a variety of spiders.
The high quality, close-up, full page photographs alone make this book a must-read for fans of spiders. In addition, the narrative text is fact-filled but entertaining, occasionally using a larger font for emphasis. The basics of spider life are woven into fun facts about many types of spid More...
Sibert Honor Book
For grades 2-8
Stunning photographs accompany the text describing the life-cycle, habits and characteristics of a variety of spiders.
The high quality, close-up, full page photographs alone make this book a must-read for fans of spiders. In addition, the narrative text is fact-filled but entertaining, occasionally using a larger font for emphasis. The basics of spider life are woven into fun facts about many types of spid More...
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Mar 05, 2011
L11Beverly
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This picture book shares a large colorful photograph beside a one page/one-two paragraph of text describing that particular spider. It icludes cptions with additional information, a short glossary, a centerfold photograph of a junping spider and a section about the autor/photographer.
I enjoyed the colorful close-ups photographs of the spiders. When I taught First Grade we taught a unit about spiders focusing on non-fiction information. The culminating activity was to cut spider bod More...
I enjoyed the colorful close-ups photographs of the spiders. When I taught First Grade we taught a unit about spiders focusing on non-fiction information. The culminating activity was to cut spider bod More...
Jun 18, 2010
Karen
rated it: 
Spiders by Nic Bishop is a great learning tool for almost any age. It contains an index to find specific spiders and a glossary to explain the "spidery" terms. This book contains closeup, clear, photographs. Some of these photographs were taken in the wild while others were taken in artificial settings that met the natural environment of the spider. The reader finds this out in the author's note at the end of the book.
The book was riveting and very real. I had to appre More...
The book was riveting and very real. I had to appre More...
Jun 15, 2010
Mary Beth
rated it:
I gave this book five stars. How can anyone not want to investigate Spiders by Nic Bishop after seeing the large, detailed, colorful and mesmorizing photo of the spider on the book's cover? The oversized photos throughout the book illustrate how a variety of spiders hunt their prey, spin their web, as well as describe their anatomy. Along with captivating photos, variation in the size and color of the font enhances the information in this descriptive non-fiction. Young readers interested in find
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Dec 16, 2009
Matt
rated it:
Recommended for grades 2nd-5th
This picture book is packed with amazing facts about these highly successful predators. The text explains that spiders were around more than 350 million years ago, long before lions and tigers; and that today more than 38,000 types still exist and are doing just fine. Bishop, a biologist and an expert photographer, uses beautiful full-color photos to bring exciting science to children. General facts about spiders are here: the difference between spiders an More...
Nov 30, 2009
Katie
rated it:
Spiders
5 out of 5 stars
The pictures in Bishop’s book add a tremendous amount of depth to the book. The pictures are vivid, up close, and very life-like. I turned the page once and was startled, because the images seemed to jump out into my lap. The pictures are full page, and sometimes they take up more than an entire page. One page in the middle of the book folds out into a series of four pages, brilliantly illustrating the movement of a jumping spider. The text is wel More...
5 out of 5 stars
The pictures in Bishop’s book add a tremendous amount of depth to the book. The pictures are vivid, up close, and very life-like. I turned the page once and was startled, because the images seemed to jump out into my lap. The pictures are full page, and sometimes they take up more than an entire page. One page in the middle of the book folds out into a series of four pages, brilliantly illustrating the movement of a jumping spider. The text is wel More...
Jun 19, 2010
Jill
rated it:
The photographs in this book are incredible! I have learned so much about spiders. I never knew the number of legs is the difference between a spider and an insect. I also didn't know that spiders sucked their prey from the inside out leaving only a crusty skelton. I believe childen would be fascinated by this book. The pictures are so vibrant and full of bold colors. The close up photographs make each spider come alive sometimes too alive for my taste. The photographs are so graphic that I won'
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Jun 12, 2010
Mary
rated it:
I read a different title by Bishop called Frogs. I gave it 5 stars.This book was most amazing to learn the life cycle of the frog. It will be useful when I'm teaching about habitats to my students. The see through frog called a Glass Frog was the most surprising species I learned about in my reading of the book. With this tiny frog of Central and South America you don't need an x-ray machine to see his inner workings. I chose this book to read because of the interest I share with my Zooligist so
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Apr 30, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Spiders are creepy, crawly and scary, but Nic Bishop’s book, Spiders, still makes you want to know more. The amazing pictures grab your attention and keep you turning the page even if it turns your stomach. He manages to find many unusual subjects and photograph them up close so you can see the smallest details like the spines on the legs of the green lynx spider. He also includes pictures of a tarantula eating and a wolf spider carrying her babies on her back.
The text includes so m More...
The text includes so m More...
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(2 people liked it)
Mar 05, 2011
Q_Ayana
rated it:
“Spiders were hunting long before lions and tigers. They were hunting even before Tyrannosaurus rex.” Nic Bishop’s book Spiders, a 2008 Sibert Honor Book and winner of several other awards/honors, not only provides a plethora of details about the tiny insects, it also gives an up-close and personal look at a variety of species. The photos are appropriate for all ages that do not mind seeing spiders, yet the text is appropriate for students in grades 3-8. At times, the details can get very specif
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Nov 12, 2009
NS- Sarah
rated it: 
This book is simply amazing! Nic Bishop's photography is stunning and impressive. The fact that his work is being shared with kids is very exciting because his pictures are good enough to appear in magazines, textbooks or online. I just completed a science unit on spiders with my first graders and they were mesmerized by this book. As a teacher, I couldn't have found a better book to spark my students' interest. The text is also very appropriate for elementary school students. The reading
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(1 person liked it)
Mar 09, 2009
Toby
rated it:
2010 Monarch Award master list
Well, for those of you who thought Nic Bishop's Frogs was gross, welcome to Nic Bishop's Spiders. Like Frogs, Spiders has 'fun' facts like they have blue blood (who knew they had blood at all?) and they liquify their prey with poison so they can drink their food. Spiders all have eight eyes, but it's clear from these photographs that they're not always arranged the same: some have 2 rows of 4, some have all 8 in a circle on top of their head, or ra More...
Well, for those of you who thought Nic Bishop's Frogs was gross, welcome to Nic Bishop's Spiders. Like Frogs, Spiders has 'fun' facts like they have blue blood (who knew they had blood at all?) and they liquify their prey with poison so they can drink their food. Spiders all have eight eyes, but it's clear from these photographs that they're not always arranged the same: some have 2 rows of 4, some have all 8 in a circle on top of their head, or ra More...
May 30, 2010
Yvonne
rated it:
Spiders by Nic Bishop was an intresting book. I kind of figure out that it was going to be all about spiders by the cover of the book. The book describe the difference between a spider and an insect. The different types of spiders and how they hunt for insects or other small animals.
It also mentions the biggest spider called Goliath birdeater tarantula which lives on the rain forest floor. I would hate to meet this tarantula face to face. I also learned that the wolf spider is the only one More...
It also mentions the biggest spider called Goliath birdeater tarantula which lives on the rain forest floor. I would hate to meet this tarantula face to face. I also learned that the wolf spider is the only one More...
Jun 12, 2010
Marlyss
rated it:
As a 3rd grade science teacher, I found this book to be extremely good. The photographs are absolutely amazing; you can see such detail on the spiders! I also really appreciated that the captions explained what the spider was doing in the picture. The information contained in the text was very detailed, yet the vocabulary was not too difficult for intermediate aged children. I also liked how there was a sentence on each page that was a larger font and gave a general fact that was further exp
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Jul 13, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
This book earns 5 stars. It is an excellent preschool or kindergarten resource for teaching nonfiction texts. This book would be useful to introduce captions, glossary, index and photographs. Teachers needing a short read aloud for preschool children could read only the larger font words. Older children would appreciate the additional text. A group of children seated around a teacher will be able to see the large pictures.
The close up photographs show fine detail.The whole page plate will More...
The close up photographs show fine detail.The whole page plate will More...
Feb 20, 2009
Luann
rated it:
Amazing close-up photographs of spiders are paired with easy-to-read yet very interesting text. Facts I learned: Spiders have blue blood. A spider can recognize the taste of its own silk by touching it. A spider can "recycle" its silk by eating it. Some tarantulas can live for thirty years. Wolf spiders carry their egg sacs, even when they hunt. They also carry their young on their back for a few days.
Nic Bishop includes an author's note at the end giving some deta More...
Nic Bishop includes an author's note at the end giving some deta More...
Jun 18, 2010
Jessica
rated it:
Spiders by Nic Bishop was an interesting and informative book. To begin with, I have a fear of spiders, so it was not so easy to pick up this book and read due to the photographs. But I’ve got to say that it provided so much information and the pictures were amazing! Any reader who is fascinated with spiders or needs to write a report can find this book to be useful and enjoyable. I love how he describes the way he took pictures of these creatures and was surprised to find out that many of them
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Jun 14, 2010
Minnie
rated it:
This illustrated book by author and photographer Nic Bishop is amazing. Bishop says that spiders have been in existence for more that 350 million years and that there are more than 38,000 types of spiders. He goes on and describes the anatomy of the spider and how it differentiates from insects. He compares spiders to humans and how they are different from us. He describes how they the spiders can make different types of webs and how they capture their prey. Through his amazing photog More...
Jun 20, 2010
Susan
rated it:
The author of this book is also the photographer and let me say that the images of spiders were up close and very detailed. I f you have a phobia of spiders like me, you may not even be able to look at them. It is very informational for younger kids who want to learn about how spiders eat, mate, and where they live. There are a lot of interesting facts about spiders that I didn't even know like how many of them can eat their webs as food after they are done with them. Each photo also has an info
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Jun 17, 2010
Ann
rated it:
What a beautiful book by Nic Bishop. The illustrations are so detailed that you can see the hair on the spider's legs. While you are reading this book, you find yourself looking around to see if any spiders have joined you. As amazing as Nic Bishop makes them look, you can't help to cringe as you read that spiders range in sizes from a grain of sand to the size of the book itself. His book engages readers by giving facts, but emphasizes some of the facts by enlarging the font and giving it a
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Jun 19, 2010
Camila
rated it:
The pictures were outstanding, fascinating, fantastic, and the list of adjectives continues on. Many pictures gave me goosebumps and made me queasy...but in a good way. He captures moments that we will never witness in our lives, and I think children will just be amazed at the images. I love the picture of the jumping spider, and I was astonished over some the most interesting facts...like the fact that they can float in the wind for more than 100 miles. It makes me think twice before I grab my
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Dec 14, 2009
Christopher
rated it:
4th grade - 5th grade
Spiders is an educational book that will give you the creeps! The up close pictures of the different spiders are amazing. Nic Bishop's pictures put you up-close and personal with these feared and misunderstood creatures. The sentences are very easy to understand and the overall content makes this non-fiction picture book an educational and easy reader.
Science, Language Arts
Lesson Plan: I would love to have a "pet" spider in More...
Spiders is an educational book that will give you the creeps! The up close pictures of the different spiders are amazing. Nic Bishop's pictures put you up-close and personal with these feared and misunderstood creatures. The sentences are very easy to understand and the overall content makes this non-fiction picture book an educational and easy reader.
Science, Language Arts
Lesson Plan: I would love to have a "pet" spider in More...
Jun 18, 2010
Roslyn
rated it:
Nic Bishop uses beautiful full-color photos to bring exciting and astonishing science facts about spiders to children. The informal conversational style text explains that spiders have been around more than 350 million years ago, and more than 38,000 types still exist today. General facts include the difference between spiders and insects; body parts; how they eat; spin invisible webs; along with molting, courting and egg-laying. The details of the pictures are facinating; gruesome at times, b
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Jun 19, 2010
Gabriela
rated it:
The amazing photography by Nic Bishop in this book captivates the attention even of an arachnaphobic. His pictures are amazing and draws its audience, even those leary of spiders, to want to learn more about these creatures. His book is very informative and not only do you become an expert on spiders but allows a teacher a number of fun lesson to incorporate into a thematic unit. This book awakens a person's curiosity and motivates anyone, even those who don't like these 8 legged creatures, t
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May 05, 2010
Annette
rated it:
Whether Nic Bishop's "Spiders" will ease or intensify the fears of arachnophobics is uncertain; what is certain is that they will learn fascinating facts and view stunning photographs of one of the world's oldest predators. I learned that in addition to their eight legs (and usually eight eyes), spiders have two small arms called pedipalps (they look kind of like the Tyrannosaurus Rex arms in relation to its body). Their eyes do not see that well, but they rely on other senses on thei
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Apr 20, 2009
Jennifer
rated it:
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 eve
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Mar 12, 2009
Andrea
rated it:
I totally loved this book--the best part of it for me was not the great information and pictures (even though I loved the little baby spiders on their mother's back), but to find out about the author and how he went about doing his work...and the pictures of him doing so. It is really wonderful for kids to see what authorship is all about..WOW!!! He even raised spiders so that he could capture just the moment he was looking for! This book is very desrving of the Caldecott Award!!!
Oct 27, 2011
Nic Bishop’s book Spiders gave me the creeps! I am not a fan of spiders or any other creepy crawlers. The photos were remarkable, each coupled with facts and details about spiders. I could definitely see kids getting into the book. I would examine the photos and marvel at the details. I learned several things about spiders, including that spiders were walking the earth more than 350 million years ago!
Sep 19, 2009
Cheryl
rated it:
Nic Bishop's photos of spiders are truly amazing (and nightmare provoking!). These pictures are accompanied by a vast amount of interesting facts and information about spiders. It gets two thumbs up from my four-year-old son.
2007; Information Book; ALA Notable Books for Children, Gryphon Honor, Orbis Pictus Honor, Outstanding Science Trade Book, Robert F. Silbert Information Book Honor
2007; Information Book; ALA Notable Books for Children, Gryphon Honor, Orbis Pictus Honor, Outstanding Science Trade Book, Robert F. Silbert Information Book Honor
Jun 18, 2010
Salina
rated it:
The pictures alone in this book get 5 stars! I could not believe how close he would get to these spiders. It even scared my mom when she saw the book on the couch! This book is very good in explaining things in a simple and interesting way so that it is easy to understand and stay interested through out the book.My students would learn so much about spiders just with this one book.
