I Don't Like Snakes

Booklist (September 1, 2015 (Vol. 112, No. 1))

Grades K-3. In this slithery tale about overcoming fears, a girl with an aversion to snakes has the misfortune of belonging to a snake-loving family. Using knowledge as an antivenin to her phobia, her parents explain how snakes move—giving details about their markings and skin, which is not slimy—and describe how these reptiles use their tongues and eyes. Her brother tries to scare her by relating how snakes capture their prey. In the end, for this youngster, to know them is to “really, really, reeeeealllly LIKE THEM!” Most of the double-page spreads feature pleasant cartoon drawings of the family on the left and realistic drawings of snakes and their distinctive qualities on the right. A different font is used to distinguish the family’s dialogue from the information about the snakes, clearly separating fact from fiction. Although this might not cure ophidiophobia, its duo design will let it slide easily into a storytime setting or into the hands of older readers looking for more detailed information about snakes.