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Slithery Snakes

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Slithery Snakes
by Roxie Munro
Two Lions, 2013.  Unpaged.  Nonfiction

     A new Roxie Munro title makes one expect mazes, maps, and puzzles of many varieties, but Slithery Snakes takes a  somewhat different approach. A two-page spread of a particular snake's skin begins each section:  Can you guess what kind of snake this is? it asks, then gives a hint. Sometimes the hints will lead you to the right answer, such as the snake named after the old-timey article of men's clothing that held up his socks, or the name of the snake that is roughly translated as "snake with hood" from the Portuguese.  But Schinz's beaked blind snake?  Really?  Still, it's fun to try and then learn fascinating facts about snakes you know and those you don't.  Who knew that the yellow-bellied sea snake floats around in enormous packs, is the most widespread snake on earth, and can kill you if it bites you? or that the African black mamba is the fastest snake on earth and it can slither as fast as you can run - an uncomfortable thought.  Slithery Snakes is a terrific book for kids who like puzzle and I Spy books, but with a bit more substance.

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