false 3528038 1 This true tale of horror begins in the leaf litter beside a quaint, tidy porch in Jackson, Mississippi. Rain trickles off the edge of a quaint, tidy porch and onto the shell of a sleeping creature. The water awakens the beast. Slowly, a slimy foot emerges from the shell, then a hideous head. The wolfsnail is on the prowl.<br><br>Big, strong, and fast (for a snail), the wolfsnail has a taste for meat. In some areas, it is called the cannibal snail. It has earned the name.<br><br>Above the wolfsnail, a smaller snail calmly eats the leaf of a garden plant. Surely, it is safe here, in the shade of the leaves, hidden from the view of snail-eating birds.<br><br>Maybe not. Below, the wolfsnail begins to climb. It knows this plant. It has fed here before. Soon, the predator finds the slime trail of the smaller snail. It turns and follows the gooey path toward its prey. When the chase ends and the dramatic feast is done, nothing remains of the smaller snail but an empty shell.<br><br>This photographic story of a day in the life of a wolfsnail offers kids a unique and dramatic introduction to the food chain. The wolfsnail s story also has important lessons for everyone. In the southern United States, the wolfsnail is a rightful member of the native wildlife. But it has been taken to other regions, where it has devastated the populations of unique species of snails.<br><br>For example, the wolfsnail was transplanted to Hawaii in the hope of controlling the giant African snail, a serious farm pest. The wolfsnail does indeed eat giant African snails, but it prefers the unique species that live only on the islands. It has wiped out many of Hawaii s native snails, which for thousands of years had composted leaf litter, kept some plants from overtaking the ground, and provided food for birds and other predators. The long-term effects of their disappearance on Hawaii s ecosystem are not yet known.<br><br>Sarah Campbell uses stunning photographs taken collaboratively by herself and her husband, Richard, to tell this engaging story. Young readers will be fascinated by this little-known predator and informed by seeing the impact it has had on habitats where it does not belong. 3569815 book 1 5 2008 Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator total:34|5:7|4:20|3:5|2:2|1:0| 34 134 47 17 5 1 false false Wed Nov 11 12:24:42 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 08:03:28 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Tue Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 15:29:11 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 18:45:04 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Dec 05 11:35:03 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 05 11:38:04 -0800 2008
It moves faster than other snails."

BEST first reader nonfiction of the year. No, seriously. There is this deadpan tone to the sparing prose that... it's about a snail! I just love this book.]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Mar 20 15:26:40 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 20 15:28:49 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 11:25:22 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 26 12:19:15 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Apr 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 19:26:31 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 27 19:28:27 -0700 2009 ]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 15:54:34 -0700 2009 Fri Jun 12 15:58:13 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Tue Feb 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 11 12:50:11 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 11 12:50:11 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Mar 30 11:40:45 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 30 11:40:45 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Feb 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 17:46:14 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 03 17:48:57 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jun 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 08:29:01 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 24 08:29:53 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Jan 27 11:49:57 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 27 11:50:49 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jan 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 09:27:49 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 29 09:29:40 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jan 26 12:33:36 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 26 15:10:39 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Apr 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 08:39:43 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 08:40:39 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Mar 26 08:45:44 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 08:12:25 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Mon Jun 23 15:16:22 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 23 15:16:43 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Sun Oct 04 16:45:24 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 16:45:24 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Thu Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 09:36:14 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 12:12:43 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Tue Sep 08 21:47:47 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 21:48:16 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3528038