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About... A Guide for Children
About Arachnids: A Guide for Children
Creepy crawlies and eight-legged wonders abound in this classroom favorite and beginner's guide to arachnids.
In this book from the acclaimed About... series, educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what arachnids are, how they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
With beautifully detailed, realistic paintings, noted wildlife illustrator John Sill introduces readers to a diverse range of arachnids, from the poisonous brown recluse spider to the innocuous giant desert hairy scorpion.
An afterword provides more details about each species featured in the interior.
In this book from the acclaimed About... series, educator and author Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what arachnids are, how they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.
With beautifully detailed, realistic paintings, noted wildlife illustrator John Sill introduces readers to a diverse range of arachnids, from the poisonous brown recluse spider to the innocuous giant desert hairy scorpion.
An afterword provides more details about each species featured in the interior.
40 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Cathryn Sill
57 books12 followersCathryn Sill, a graduate of Western Carolina University, was an elementary school teacher for thirty years. She lives in North Carolina.
When she was an elementary school teacher who loves nature. When she had trouble finding good natural history books for her kindergarten class, she decided to write them.
With her husband John as the illustrator, she has created two series of nonfiction books for children.
The ABOUT series is about different groups of animals and includes 16 books. She has just completed the eighth books in a series about habitats.
When she was an elementary school teacher who loves nature. When she had trouble finding good natural history books for her kindergarten class, she decided to write them.
With her husband John as the illustrator, she has created two series of nonfiction books for children.
The ABOUT series is about different groups of animals and includes 16 books. She has just completed the eighth books in a series about habitats.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 22, 2023
My son and I finished reading "Charlotte's Web" last night, and he loved it!
Today, we were at the library and I saw this book and thought we'd read it tonight and learn more about arachnids. We were able to make some references to Charlotte and her webs!
Today, we were at the library and I saw this book and thought we'd read it tonight and learn more about arachnids. We were able to make some references to Charlotte and her webs!
March 13, 2018
Review:
YOUNG READERS WILL LOVE this first glimpse into the creepy, crawly, complex world of spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks in this latest title in the About... series. Author Cathryn Sill explains in easy-to-understand language what arachnids are, how they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce. Wildlife painter John Sills' detailed realistic illustrations reflect the diversity of the arachnid population--from the poisonous Brown Recluse Spider to the innocuous Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion--and present each in its natural habitat. An appendix, which provides further detail on the arachnids portrayed, will inspire young readers to learn more about these fascinating, often misunderstood creatures.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I had to complete a teach about Arachnids for one of my classes. This book gives a lot of great information that a child would understand. I learned a lot from this book and students would too.
Personal Reaction:
I love this book because of the facts and pictures throughout the book. As a child I would have loved to read this book because it is short but to the point. As a teacher I appreciate the detailed information given at the end of the book.
YOUNG READERS WILL LOVE this first glimpse into the creepy, crawly, complex world of spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks in this latest title in the About... series. Author Cathryn Sill explains in easy-to-understand language what arachnids are, how they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce. Wildlife painter John Sills' detailed realistic illustrations reflect the diversity of the arachnid population--from the poisonous Brown Recluse Spider to the innocuous Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion--and present each in its natural habitat. An appendix, which provides further detail on the arachnids portrayed, will inspire young readers to learn more about these fascinating, often misunderstood creatures.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I had to complete a teach about Arachnids for one of my classes. This book gives a lot of great information that a child would understand. I learned a lot from this book and students would too.
Personal Reaction:
I love this book because of the facts and pictures throughout the book. As a child I would have loved to read this book because it is short but to the point. As a teacher I appreciate the detailed information given at the end of the book.
June 21, 2017
Excellent book of facts on the arachnid family. Beautiful illustrations. Wonderful to use with a unit on spiders. Great for grades 2-5. Highly recommended.
March 15, 2021
This is pretty and scientifically sound but geared for my classes age group. Recommended.
Q2021 book.
Q2021 book.
May 11, 2015
Personal reaction-
This is a very simplistic informational book about arachnids. There are great illustrations that are a great addition to what the author is informing the reader about. I think the drawings of the arachnids are good to match the age group this book is appealing to however I think it would be more influential if there were actual pictures of the arachnids.
Purpose in classroom-
This would be a great book to assign to first and second graders. There is a picture that covers every other page with short sentences. It is a great way to give them an idea of what species are in this class. I would connect this book to a science lesson. We could talk about how arachnids are part of a bigger class called arthropods and then expand the lesson to other classes such as amphibians, mammals, or insects. Literary elements that could be taught using this book would be characterization. The children could describe arachnid’s characteristics. For example why is a spider an arachnid and not an insect? (Because a spider has eight legs).
This is a very simplistic informational book about arachnids. There are great illustrations that are a great addition to what the author is informing the reader about. I think the drawings of the arachnids are good to match the age group this book is appealing to however I think it would be more influential if there were actual pictures of the arachnids.
Purpose in classroom-
This would be a great book to assign to first and second graders. There is a picture that covers every other page with short sentences. It is a great way to give them an idea of what species are in this class. I would connect this book to a science lesson. We could talk about how arachnids are part of a bigger class called arthropods and then expand the lesson to other classes such as amphibians, mammals, or insects. Literary elements that could be taught using this book would be characterization. The children could describe arachnid’s characteristics. For example why is a spider an arachnid and not an insect? (Because a spider has eight legs).
October 4, 2010
* Nonfiction
* Illustrations are watercolors, rather than photographs
* This book is good for the classroom library
* Students love the look of the creatures and short, informational text
* Gives a longer outline/description of each page in the back for students who want a more in depth description of something they read
* Illustrations are watercolors, rather than photographs
* This book is good for the classroom library
* Students love the look of the creatures and short, informational text
* Gives a longer outline/description of each page in the back for students who want a more in depth description of something they read
September 6, 2015
Wait, ticks are arachnids?
I like the format of these books - simple text that teaches the basics, more details at the back of the book if you want more information. I still don't know why I picked up a book with a spider on the cover though. *shudders*
I like the format of these books - simple text that teaches the basics, more details at the back of the book if you want more information. I still don't know why I picked up a book with a spider on the cover though. *shudders*
October 31, 2015
A nonfiction picture book about arachnids with detailed watercolor illustrations. Another addition to Sill's "About" series, this is an informative introduction that will be useful to early elementary units on arachnids.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews