Snap by Melvin & Gilda Berger

Snap by Melvin & Gilda Berger (32 pages; 1 book) #26

Berger, Melvin and Gilda Berger (2003). Snap. New York: NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Awards: No awards given.

Grade Level: K-4 grades

Author Credibility: This husband and wife team researches each topic before writing a book. There are no details on how they do their research or how they choose their topics. It is a beautifully written photographic essay.

Summary/Response: Alligators and crocodiles belong to the crocodilian family. They look a lot alike, but there are two major ways to differentiate between the two. First the alligators’ snout is shaped like a v. The second way is by the fourth tooth back. The alligator's tooth is not visible when the mouth is closed and the crocodile's is. Alligators live only in America and China. The American alligator is much longer than its Chinese cousin. The China gator is also smaller in numbers. Crocodiles are found worldwide and are larger than gators. The Nile crocodile is responsible for more human deaths than lions. Alligators and crocodiles are really amazing animals.

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: Amazing colorful, close-up photographs

Access Features: Fluency Fun

Related Texts: Dive! A Book of Deep Sea Creatures by Mel Berger, Crocodiles and Alligators by Seymour Simon

Classroom Use: This book is a good addition to a science classroom. I can use it for my egg laying literacy unit. It is good in learning the life cycle of an alligator and use as a compare/contrast model for other animals.