Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2021 Interweaving abundant scientific information, poetry, and colorful cartoon illustrations, this collection offers a lively introduction to spiders, covering everything from their traits and behaviors to types of arachnids. A peppy opening poem overviews what’s to come (“Hatching from pearly, silk-cocooned eggs, / Stretching eight sensitive, hairy legs . . . We spy spiders!”), followed by others discussing their distinguishing physical characteristics, often with diagrams. Subsequent spreads spotlight many topics, from web spinning, mating, and luring prey to spiders' varied habitats, each with specific examples and accompanying poems. “On the Prowl” features hunting techniques, showcasing the goldenrod crab spider, woodlouse hunter, and diving bell spider. While the text can be dense, the scientific concepts are clearly conveyed, incorporating lively, sometimes icky touches, like describing how spiders’ digestive juices “convert their victim’s soft insides into a slurpable, nutritious feast.” Appended material includes a glossary, notes on the poetry forms, tips for spotting spiders, additional resources, and an infographic helpfully revealing each included spider's actual size. Though there are squirm-inducing elements for some, the enthusiastic tone will help readers find plenty to engage, inform, and intrigue. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2021 Gr 2–6—This collection is filled with all forms of poetry, including haiku, limerick, concrete, and free verse. Spider lovers and readers who may learn to love these eight-legged creatures will rejoice in the fun and informative facts featured throughout the text. Each spread is accompanied by illustrations that make spiders appear friendly and approachable. Readers will want to devour the pages as they search for hidden gems in rhyme or picture and will learn how spiders eat, how they weave patterns, and the truths behind common misconceptions. More than 50 spiders are represented in the 14 poems. The spiders range in size, from as small as a pencil eraser to the Goliath bird-eating spider who rarely eats birds at all. A full glossary, information about poetic form, and a spider identification list make this an excellent text for use in the classroom. The approachable and accessible verse will make adults and children want to explore the natural world and discover a clutter of spiders. VERDICT A fun collection of factual poetry to add to shelves.—Elizabeth Speer, Weatherford Coll., TX - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.