Sneed B. Collard III's Most Fun Book Ever About Lizards

by Sneed B. Collard III

Overview

Lizards are cool. Literally. They are ectotherms, which means they can’t make their own heat. That’s why you see many types of lizards basking in the sun, seemingly doing nothing at all. That’s the life. But make no mistake, lizards have very busy lives—looking for food and avoiding being food. Popular science writer Sneed B. Collard III gets down and dirty with all kinds of lizards—from your average "Joe Lizard," the western fence lizard, to the impressively large Komodo dragon. In a kid-friendly narrative, Sneed explores many different kinds of lizards, their habitats, defense systems, hunting techniques, and mating rituals. He reveals the exciting life of a lizard—from rappelling from the tops of trees to the forest floor, to dropping off a tail to get away from a predator.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580893251
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	1020L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Sneed B. Collard III has been a biologist and a computer scientist. He's put his knowledge and experience to use by writing more than thirty children's books, including MANY BIOMES, ONE EARTH, BEAKS, and TEETH. He began writing after graduating with honors in marine biology from the University of California at Berkeley. After earning his master’s in scientific instrumentation at the University of California at Santa Barbara, he continued to hone his craft while serving as a computer consultant for biologists. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

Read an Excerpt

So Many Lizards, So Little Information
 
            Most people don’t know very much about lizards. This seems odd when you consider that lizards—or saurians, as they are sometimes called—are the most common reptiles on the planet. According to the German Herpetological Society’s TIGR Reptile Database (www.reptile-database.org), scientists have described more than five thousand species of lizards—more than all other reptiles combined.
            So why don’t people know much about lizards? Maybe we don’t bother learning about them because lizards can’t win football games or help us with our homework. Maybe lizards are so common we simply overlook them. But maybe, just maybe, we don’t know about lizards because most of us have never had the chance to. . . .
Meet Joe Lizard

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Sneed B. Collard III's Most Fun Book Ever About Lizards"
by .
Copyright © 2012 Sneed B. Collard.
Excerpted by permission of Charlesbridge.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

This lively, information-packed introduction to the world of lizards describes their surprising variety and life in the wild and offers cautions from a long-time reptile fan for those who want to keep lizards as pets. Collard, who introduced middle-grade readers to Mesozoic reptiles with Reign of the Sea Dragons (2008), turns his attention here to modern-day lizards. After presenting an exemplar, "Joe Lizard," a western fence lizard, he goes on to describe other well-known species, including Komodo dragons, Gila monsters, chameleons and iguanas, as well as some with unusual talents, including "religious lizards" that can walk on water. He covers eating and being eaten, the ways saurians keep warm and reproduce, and threats to their survival. His information is solid and clearly organized but conveyed in a relatively lengthy, chatty narrative whose occasional exaggerations may surprise some readers, who will need his warning, "Just kidding." Sentences trail off into ellipses, encouraging readers to keep turning the pages. Most of the appealing and well-reproduced photographs were taken by the author. Close-ups show lizard characteristics (the break line for a new tail, a monitor's forked tongue); longer shots show them in their natural habitat. Captions and sidebars add further information. For readers intrigued by Nic Bishop Lizards (2010), this may lead to true lizard-love. (suggested resources, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews