Are You a Snail?

The uniqueness of this book is not in its information, it is in the presentation. The basic facts about snails --- their body parts, the food they eat, their enemies --- are included, but they are presented in second person as if your child were a snail. The book begins with the question, "Are you a snail?" It then continues with all of the characteristics you would have if you were a snail. Each page contains short text along with vivid, detailed illustrations (not photos). Overall, the book has enough of a "twist" on a straight-forward science book to make it fun to read for parent and child alike.

My son is 17 months old, and he loves 'nails-- as he calls 'em. So when we went to our local library to find another book on the subject, (He loves Ruth Brown's "Snail Trail") we were coming up empty-handed. Fortunately, this Backyard Book came to the rescue. A good children's author almost makes you feel like they are in the room chatting with you. Judy Allen's story of snail life is gently witty, informative, and beatiful to look at. My husband's interest was piqued, too. My son just kept murmuring "Nail!" as he looked at the pictures. He will definitely grow well into this one, and I intend to scout out the whole series. Bravo!

I love reading books to my children, but I find that really great books are not always that easy to come by. By a really great book I mean something beautifully illustrated, easy and enjoyable for me to read out loud, and an interesting, educational subject. Of course my children (They are 4 and 6 and a half years old now, but I've been reading these books to them for over a year.) must enjoy the book too, otherwise I'll be reading my beautiful book to myself! I think in this backyard book series I have found all the aspects of a great children's book. The story is cute. It takes about the right amount of time to read aloud. It's educational in a very real way. (There are snails all over my garden for my children to see, and touch.) Now they know all about how snails live and what they really are. I'm looking forward to buying, and reading, more books in the series.

My 2 year old was going through a fear of insects (and snails) phase and this book helped tremendously. Not only did it educate her on the life cycle of the snail, but it did so without talking down to her. I read it to her 7 times when we first got it and right away her attitude toward snails changed. Now, she is quite happy to go visit them as they munch away on our garden vegetables...

My Kindergarten class (5-6 yr.olds) loved this book! It's an imaginative way of approaching facts about snails, and the illustrations are beautiful.