Crabs by Mary Jo Rhodes and David Hall

Crabs by Mary Jo Rhodes and David Hall (48 pages; 1 book) #22

Rhodes, Mary Jo and David Hall (2006). Crabs. New York, NY: Children’s Press.

Awards: Eligible for Children’s Choice Award 2006

Grade Level: K-6 grades

Author Credibility: Mary Jo Rhodes travels around researching the animals she is going to write about. She goes to aquariums, studies them in their natural environment, and consulted with marine biologists. She grew up around the beach and enjoyed exploring the seashore. David Hall has a degree in zoology and medicine. He helps write books, illustrates, and works as a physician.

Summary/Response: Crabs is a well organized book and very inviting to read with crab facts at the bottom of some pages. It also has beautiful photographs with descriptions of what is going on in the pictures. The table of contents is listed in different colors which emphasize the beautiful colors crabs come in. Crabs are arthropods that along with lobsters and shrimps belong to a group known as crustaceans. There are true and false crabs. True crabs have a very short abdomen and use four pairs of legs for walking. Crabs have compound eyes to help find prey and spot enemies. Crabs live in many different places. Some live in old shells and one kind ever live in trees. Crabs have multiple defenses but their main defense is their powerful claws. When a crab outgrows its exoskeleton, it must molt or shed this covering and grow a new one.

National Standards: Language: Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
Science: Structure and function in living systems, Reproduction and heredity, Regulation and behavior, Populations and ecosystems, Diversity and adaptations of organisms

Illustrations: Brilliant color photographs.

Access Features: Table of Contents, Glossary, Learn More About Crabs, Index, About the Authors, About the Consultant

Related Texts: Crabs (Welcome Books) by Lloyd G. Douglas, Hermit Crabs: Complete Pet Owners Manual by Sue Fox, Seashells, Crabs, and Sea Turtles by Christiane Kump Tibbitts, Sea Turtles by Mary Jo Rhodes, Sea Horses and Sea Dragons by Mary Jo Rhodes

Classroom Use: I would use this when studying life sciences. A lot of children like to get hermit crabs as pets, so the section on hermit crabs can be useful in how to take care of their pets.