ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES review

Virginia Caldwell
Book Review Module 4
TWU assignment
LS 5603 – 20


ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES


Bibliographic Data:
Simon, Seymour. 2001. ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. New York: SeaStar Books. ISBN 1587170809


Plot Summary:
ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES is a fun adventure that tells a short summary about many of the most unpopular animals on Earth. Recommended for ages 9 to 12.


Analysis:

“This book is about animals that few people like and nobody loves.”

This sentence, from the book’s introduction page, sums up the theme of ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. This informational book examines twenty animals that people see as scary, yucky, or otherwise unappealing creatures.

My favorite aspect of this book is that Simon does not attempt to force the readers to like these animals. He simply lays out some information about each one. He does provide the reasons that people dislike the animals. For example:

“Crocodiles are very dangerous. They will go after humans without any
fear.”

“In India alone, cobras are reported to kill thousands of
people each year…”

Simon also provides interesting facts about each animal, like when he describes the rat.

“Experts say that there are more rats than people living in the United
States.”

However, it seems that each animal does not receive equal treatment in ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. For example, Simon gives advice about what to do if you encounter a Grizzly bear, but not a rattlesnake. Furthermore, some animals are divided into types, like snakes – the rattlesnake and cobra, but others are lumped together, like spiders. This unevenness of coverage is a drawback to the book’s authority and appeal.

In addition, at least one animal included is not necessarily an animal that nobody loves. I may feel ambivalent toward the octopus, but I have never heard any horror stories about them. I found the inclusion of the octopus a strange choice.

ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES' conclusion also leaves something to be desired. Simon ends the book with questions to the reader, one of which is:

“Do you feel any differently about the animals in this book now that you know
more about them?”

This question is strange, because the book rarely attempted to promote the good things that these animal do in the world.

The illustration with vibrant color photographs, by various photographers, is the best part about ANIMALS NOBODY LOVES. The photographs are absolutely enthralling, and would be devoured by readers even in the absence of text.

In addition, the use of a colored background for each animal’s narrative adds to the visual appeal of the book. The font of each animal’s name (as the page’s heading) is also an appealing extra. Each name is in a different color and font. For example, Fire Ant is displayed in bright red and all capital letters, which is perfect.

In conclusion, this book is visually appealing and has an exciting topic. Therefore, it is a good choice to draw kids who usually are not very interested in science. However, because of a lack of balanced information, this book would be best used along with other materials for educational purposes.


Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Reviews, 03/01/2001
“Despite his introduction, Simon seldom notes the value of these disliked animals. For example, vultures and hyenas are extremely useful decomposers. While the eyeballs-to-eyeballs cover of a tarantula in full color will keep readers reaching for the title, it is useful for browsing rather than research. No index or sources.” Copyright 2003, VNU Business Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved


BookList, 03/01/2001

“There's no question this will look great on display, but it will serve kids best when it's presented with more fact-rich natural histories.” -- Stephanie Zvirin. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

The above reviews are from Book Index with Reviews. 2007 EBSCO Publishing, Powered by The Title Source TM (Accessed through http://online.twu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_id=_142_1 on October 1, 2007).



Connections:
Some books with similar themes: WOLVES by Seymour Simon; BIG CATS by Seymour Simon; CROCODILES AND ALLIGATORS by Seymour Simon; AMAZING BATS by Seymour Simon; CREEPY SPIDERS by Elaine Landau; SINISTER SNAKES by Elaine Landau; KILLER BEES by Elaine Landau; SCARY SHARKS by Elaine Landau.