My experience:
My very young daughter was walking through Sam's Club with her Grandma when this was spotted. Let me back up. Grandma has never lived near us so she does not know my child that well. I tell her that my child is not girly like other little girls but does she listen? So on our last visit, Grandma decided to let my daughter choose a gift from Sam's Club. Grandma directed my daughter over to the princess books and princess gift sets of arts and crafts.
As they turned the corner to that aisle, my child RAN to this tarantula book. Grandma said "No, no! You do not want that. The princess stuff is over HERE!" My daughter, who does not like princess stuff, says "but Grandma! Look at this giant tarantula!! WOW! I want it!! I want it!! Please can I have this book?" After seeing the horror on Grandma's face, she grabs it and comes to me, with those puppy dog eyes. So Grandma reluctantly bought the book, Uncover A Tarantula: Take A Three-Dimensional Look Inside A Tarantula. This was only after Grandma tried bargaining with her, "okay no princess book then"....my daughter was fine with that deal.
Uncover A Tarantula: Take A Three-Dimensional Look Inside A Tarantula is a three dimensional book about the insides of a tarantula. It is written by David George Gordon. The tarantula looks like a model that you would see separate from a book but it can not be removed from the book. It cost $11.26 from Sam's Club. It is 12 inches by 10 inches.
Each time you turn a page, it removes a layer from the tarantula. When you first see the cover of this hard cover book, you see the entire top of the tarantula. Open to the first two pages and you see the exoskeleton. Right off, it talks about "what is a tarantula". As well as about their relatives and hair! Turn another page and see the venom system with the fangs. Lots of facts about fangs and of myths that are told about the spiders.
The next page shows the circulatory system and a side view of the tarantula is shown on the bottom of the page. You will learn that tarantulas have blue blood and the difference between humans and the tarantulas with a diagram. Going on, you find the digestive system uncovered. This of course talks about what a tarantula eats in the wild and how the stomach works. The next page you see and learn about the nervous system of the spider. This part talks about the legs and eyes of it.
Onto the next page, you will see and learn about the reproductive system. Of course this section talks about the sexual organs and mating. Going forward and uncovering another layer, you will see and hear about the silk system. This section is about spinnerets and producing silk that all spiders produce. The very last page and last layer of the tarantula, you will find the locomotory system. It is about the muscles and joints. As well as "disposable legs".
My daughter is thrilled with this book as I am. I love the model in a book style and how each page uncovers another layer of the spider. I think we have learned a ton about tarantulas that otherwise, we would have never known. I will say her friends are not as happy when she says "look at my book, isn't it cool?" The tarantula model is bigger than my hand. So it is a bit scary. My daughter still loves this book after two years and enjoys reading and looking at the diagram again and again. She has always preferred scaley to fluffy. That is my only explanation as I am not so fond of spiders myself.
Description:
Uncover A Tarantula: Take A Three-Dimensional Look Inside A Tarantula cost $11.26 from Sam's Club. It is 12 inches by 10 inches and over 1 inch thick. It is hardcover and a board book. It is still in perfect condition after two years. I did worry about the tiny plastic pieces holding the layers of the spider in the book as they look flimsy and not held on good. But they have survived repeated use. The model of the tarantula is molded plastic. You can actually feel the venom sacs.
There are tiny pieces so the warning on the book says not for children under 3 years old. The tarantula model is bigger than my hand. Lots of information inside the book (written around the model) about tarantulas and a tarantula's life.
Likes:
It is different. Not the same old same old. Interesting book on tarantulas. Educational. Sturdier than I expected. Very detailed model!
Dislikes:
Price is a little high.
Warnings:
Not for children under 3 years old. "Do not attempt to remove model from book."
For more information:
www.silverdolphinbooks.com
Location:
This product is not widely available. www.amazon.com has it as well as Sam's Club.
Final thought:
Interesting addition to your bookshelf! I recommend it highly!
My entry into the Best Little Writeoff Contest: http://www.epinions.com/content_5141209220 A large spider book.
Recommended:
