Who eats what?: Food chains and food webs

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Patricia Lauber

An award-winning author and artist explain how every link in a food chain is important because each living thing depends on others for survival. "Clear, simple drawings illustrate the clear, simple text. Informative and intriguing, this basic science book leads children to think about the complex and interdependent web of life on Earth."'BL.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1996 (NSTA/CBC)

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Nature, Childrens, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 1994

About the author

Patricia Lauber is the author of more than sixty-five books for young readers. Many of them are in the field of science, and their range reflects the diversity of her own interests - bats, dolphins, dogs, volcanoes, earthquakes, the ice ages, the Everglades, the planets, and earthworms.

Two of her books, SEEDS: POP STICK GLIDE and JOURNEY TO THE PLANETS, were nonfiction nominees for The American Book Award. She was the 1983 winner of The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to children's nonfiction literature.

As well as writing books, Ms. Lauber has been editor of Junior Scholastic, editor-in-chief of Science World, and chief editor, science and mathematics, of The New Book of Knowledge.

A graduate of Wellesley College, she is married and lives in Connecticut. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, sailing, traveling, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

Reviews

[4th Grade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Eats what was interesting, exellent,and special book.The ocean animals and what they wanted is to eat other animals.the prolem in the text was that other animals wanted to eat them be fore, and they needed to run!!!!! the solution was that the animals really ran and protected them. I liked the sea animals because I liked that in food chains the sharks eat the big fishes who eat the smaller fishes and more... This is a food chain.The book was mostly about food chains,and I found out that because on every page she wrote about food chains.Allso,I think that Holly Kellers writing was perfect because on every page she wrote next to animals details that connected.I think that you need to read this book if you like food chains.
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[Makayla Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great science book that can introduce students to food webs and the importance of food energy. It describes many different food webs, long and short! I also really liked how Lauber talked about the many different food sources animals may choose from. On page 17, Lauber talked about how chipmunks may eat nuts, seeds, berries, or buds that are on the bottom of the food chain. Or, they may eat insects, snails, or other small animals that got their energy from the bottom of the food chain as well. I also really liked how Lauber named new animals that students may not be aware of and how Keller added arrows to show the direction of the food chain’s energy.

[Camden]

Such a great child-friendly science book. It is easy to follow along and teaches a lot about the food web. a great book to use in science class for teaching about animals and humans too. I really liked how it included food webs from many different habitats.

[SaraKat · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty straightforward informational book about what a food chain and a food web are. I thought some pages were pretty text heavy. Also, the author did some written gymnastics to make sure not to show humans eating anything cute. I wish decomposers had been included.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice introduction to the food web/food chain. Great supplement for an animal science lesson or unit study.

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Noelani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy to understand, great pictures with arrows, but it wouldn’t have hurt to use grammar like producers, consumers, decomposers so kids could become familiar with food chain terms.

[Jennifer Castline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Nonfiction, Picture book
Grades: 2-4
This was a book that explains a variety of food chains and webs. It would be good for an introductory lesson in a primary classroom.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a fantastic job of taking science concepts and putting them into words that younger kids can understand. I liked how it started with the simple concept of what a food chain was and then moved into making the chains more complex and moving into new vocabulary, such as a food web. The details that are provided I think would really help students understand what food chains and food webs are. Also, there are various animals throughout the book; one thing that I thought was great was that each animal was labeled in case the child didn't know what the animal was. Lastly, there was also a real world example toward the end illustrating how important food chains are, saying that if humans killed seals, what would happen to the animals and plants that are in that food chain. I think this just helps the kids apply what they had learned through the rest of the book.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent non-fiction book for kids. The kids enjoy the excitement of suspense, knowing that each animal will be eaten by another. My kids liked following the food web arrows around the pages. I found it very informative. I liked that the book discussed the importance of not disturbing the food webs and chains by using the example from history of the near-extinction of the sea otters off the California coast. The kids picked up on what was happening without it getting too preachy or beating us over the head with conservation.
I also liked how the book applied the food chain concept to the kids and showed them how everyday food they ate made them part of the chain.
Grade Level: 3.8

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was obviously for Mimi, who enjoys food chains, especially in the ocean. The book repeats the concept several times but not in a boring way...in our own backyards (caterpillar, wren, hawk) but also more globally. Much attention is paid to the value of plants in the chain, including a case of otters being removed from the West coast of the U.S. and the effect that had on the kelp because sea urchins then destroyed the kelp beds--removing food sources for fish and other related animals in another related food chain. Extremely interesting yet appropriate for preschool age in its delivery.

[Janice Redding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to food webs and food chains. In fact, it provided great definitions of both food webs and food chains. It stated that a food chain is a linear representation flow of energy,and that a food web is a representation of food chains connected together. Additional information that was in the book that is great to tell students is that every food chain begin with a green plant and green plants can make their food. One thing I would like to point out in the book is that it had great illustrations of what food webs and food chains look like. I can use this book to engage fourth grade students on a lesson on food webs and food chains.

[Kendra Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs by Patricia Lauber, is about the food chain and web and explains how everything (humans, plants, animals) is connected. This book does amazing job of explain the difference between a food web and a food chain.

This book uses simple illustrations and simple text that students can understand.

This book would be a great to inspire a lesson where the students will pick an animal or plant and research everything about it. The students can gather their information from the internet or books. The students will then put together their information into paper. Once they are done, the students will get to share with the class what they learned.

[Yusra Faridi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This informational text introduces readers to food chains and how animals survive by consuming other animals. It teaches students that every creature depends on another creature for life and sustenance. It is extremely important for students to understand that even the slightest bit of disturbance in the natural food chain and eating patterns can alter the lifestyles of a lot of creatures. This book also helps children understand that we as human beings are also part of the food chain, and we depend on a lot of other animals for survival. The content in this book might be too complex for younger elementary students, but this book would work perfectly for a 1-3 grade science lesson.

[Jessica Sommers · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes what a food chain is and its importance. Throughout the book it explains how everything relates back to one another and how important everything is for our survival. This book goes over both food webs for land and underwater animals. It is also good because it shows things that children can relate to and so they can see where some of the things they eat come from.

This was a good book! It was able to explain processes that may be difficult to follow actually easy to understand! My favorite aspect was the illustrations that went along with it.

This book would be great to use in any aged classroom to help students learn the basics of a food chain.

[Sheniqua · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is filled with beautiful illustrations to depict how food chains and food webs work. This would be a great text to use for a lesson about food webs and food chains with fourth grade students. It contains some examples of each to really get the students thinking. The students could also use their math skills to discuss the number of animals included in their web or chart how many producers, consumers, or decomposers there are. They could also try and make as many food webs as they possibly can.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read aloud for my 3rd and 4th grade students. The examples were good, and it even discussed the negative consequences associated with "messing with" a part of a food chain. I only wish they would have used more scientific vocabulary (herbivore, carnivore, etc.), but it opened up a good opportunity for a short vocabulary lesson after reading it.

[Hatka Kecalovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Who Eats What? by Patricia Lauber. This book can be used in 2 to 4 grade classrooms. This book presents food chains and food- webs on land and in water. It can be used for lessons on food chains and the ecosystems.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fun way for students to learn about food webs and how they work in the environment. I think that this book is a good leeway and a good starter for students to look into the different food chains in the world.

[karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seemed a bit lopsided: it looks like a picture book, but the content is at a higher level than primary. The information was great, but it should have been presented in a more age-appropriate way.

[Leah Koch]

This nonfiction book presents higher-level thinking about how animals interact and how ecosystems work. By modeling how to connect different species to one another, students can hopefully use the same skills later in science class

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[Nancy Vu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book to learn what animals eat. We can use this book introduce food chains and food webs. Grades k-4.

[Timothy Cockburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

about the food chain and who eats what.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to use to teach about food chains and food webs. The illustrations and content is very clear, and will help students clarify any misunderstanding they may have.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to use when discussing food webs and food chains. It is written and illustrated in way students can understand.

[Elanor]

All by herself!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful science picture book about food chains. There is much good information in this book, and it is explained in an easy-to-understand way. Very nicely illustrated.

[Melissa Savage]

Summary: This book provides information about how the food chain and food web work. It provides information about the different types of animals within the food chain and how they survive. It gives examples of where energy comes from and how humans fit into this chain.

Evaluation: I like this book because it has eye catching illustrations that small children can be interested in. This book also uses a lot of vocabulary words that students need to learn and know the meaning of.

Teaching Idea: This book could be used in a science lesson when discussing the food web and food chains, as a read aloud or partner read. This book could also be used for research or when looking up facts on this topic.