What do you think?
Rate this book
Snakes!
A collection of tales offers readers an amusing look at these slithering creatures through easy-to-read verse and bright illustrations.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 18, 2017
I love all of David Greenburg's books to read to the kids. They are full of rhyming fun and the pictures hold your undivided attention. They are always funny to read.
April 7, 2021
An elementary and up picture book about a boy recounting all the ways he hates snakes.
March 17, 2017
I like that at the end the boy and the snake are friends but the rest of the book was very negative towards snakes. I just wish the rest of the book wasn't so full of the idea that snakes are scary.
September 29, 2016
I really liked the rhymes in this book. The illustrations are also very interesting. The book also has great vocabulary.
May 5, 2015
Personal Reaction: Snakes! by David Greenberg is an awesome book for students just learning to read. The few and easy words make it a choice that will make sense to them and keep them involved yet gain a new understanding of snakes that they had not previously had. The rhythm of the poem is consistent and funny, which is always a plus for students and their love for a good laugh from a book. I think that is what makes students fall in love with reading at such a young age which is so important. If elementary students start out their literature experience by finding a love for reading, that will follow them throughout their lives. Another aspect of this book I really enjoyed was the colorful and copious amounts of pictures. Students just starting to read still rely heavily on the entertainment factor of a book, and this book does not lack that feature.
Read Aloud: This book could be used in a classroom environment in a few different ways. First, this could be a good connection to make between a science lesson making an introduction to animals in our world. Students being able to put a picture with a word makes that much easier to stick and become implanted in their brain. You could also use this book when introducing rhyming within a book. Even though this book is not poetry, the constant flow of the book makes this an enjoyable and age appropriate read for children.
Independent Reading: This book does not necessarily make large connections to children to help them if they are struggling or going through a hard time. Personally, I think this book could still be used on a independent reading level with students. If you have seen a child that seems to be having a rough day or week, making some time to sit down with them and read this book could be all they need. As a student, knowing that a teacher or mentor is concerned and has you read a comical and colorful book can show them just how important they are to the teacher and all the other students within the class.
Read Aloud: This book could be used in a classroom environment in a few different ways. First, this could be a good connection to make between a science lesson making an introduction to animals in our world. Students being able to put a picture with a word makes that much easier to stick and become implanted in their brain. You could also use this book when introducing rhyming within a book. Even though this book is not poetry, the constant flow of the book makes this an enjoyable and age appropriate read for children.
Independent Reading: This book does not necessarily make large connections to children to help them if they are struggling or going through a hard time. Personally, I think this book could still be used on a independent reading level with students. If you have seen a child that seems to be having a rough day or week, making some time to sit down with them and read this book could be all they need. As a student, knowing that a teacher or mentor is concerned and has you read a comical and colorful book can show them just how important they are to the teacher and all the other students within the class.
February 24, 2015
Personal Reaction: This poem is very fun and playful. The way the author uses his rhymes are unique and make the story interesting, catchy, and the story has a good flow. For example, one of the stanzas is "From everything we fear, you haven't any fear (Well, hardly any fear, for goodness sakes). There's only one exception, now don't attempt deception, let there be no misconception... SNAKES!". The use of white space makes it clear to see each and every different type of snake and the soft yet colorful illustrations are fun to see as well as make the author's words more easy to visualize. For example, the poem says that there are peanut-butter jelly snakes and then next to that is a picture of a bunch of snakes sandwiched between two pieces of bread. This light and silly poem is fun to read.
Purpose: The purpose of this story is to be read aloud to children in grades K - 2nd.
Enrichment purpose: The book exposes new words children that they can build their vocabulary with. Examples include "antagonistic","wary", "pyroclastic", as well as the words I mentioned in my personal reaction, "exception", "deception" and "misconception". Children will build on the framework that is set for poetry through simple and entertaining poems like this meant for a younger audience.
Curricular: Children can read this when studying poetry, learning to decode the meanings of what some of the "rare" words mean by looking at the illustrations and other context that the story has to provide clues to the meaning. This book can also serve as a curricular purpose if there is a unit on animals or snakes.
Purpose: The purpose of this story is to be read aloud to children in grades K - 2nd.
Enrichment purpose: The book exposes new words children that they can build their vocabulary with. Examples include "antagonistic","wary", "pyroclastic", as well as the words I mentioned in my personal reaction, "exception", "deception" and "misconception". Children will build on the framework that is set for poetry through simple and entertaining poems like this meant for a younger audience.
Curricular: Children can read this when studying poetry, learning to decode the meanings of what some of the "rare" words mean by looking at the illustrations and other context that the story has to provide clues to the meaning. This book can also serve as a curricular purpose if there is a unit on animals or snakes.
February 26, 2015
Snakes by David T. Greenberg is about a brave little boy except when it comes to snakes! I enjoyed this narrative nonsense poetry book because it entertained the reader, and children can easily relate. It has a rhyme and sound that carries the reader throughout the story. It has a ton of imagery that makes the reader able to see and hear the snakes, Tongues abruptly flickering, whispering and snickering. The poem also uses figurative language comparing the snakes to crazy things, Its, a giant jumping Boa as big as Krakatoa. Finally, the shape of the poem is entertaining and creative, throughout the book the lines curl across the page like a snake. I thought this was a nice touch.
This book would be a great book to use in poetry lesson plan for second and third graders. You could also use this for a lesson plan about animals. Children will easily relate to the subject, being afraid of snakes and will be able to apply this fun poem to their poetry development.
This book would be a great book to use in poetry lesson plan for second and third graders. You could also use this for a lesson plan about animals. Children will easily relate to the subject, being afraid of snakes and will be able to apply this fun poem to their poetry development.
March 1, 2011
I just thought it was kind of creepy and I would not read this book to a small child. The illustrations were nice and the prose clever but I guess the snakes just creeped me out. There were so many.
You feel a faint restriction
Of serpentine constriction
In moments you can barely breathe or cough
You face a scary issue
Is the boa going to squish you?
It's impossible to yank the serpent off
Even though you're bony
He clings like macaroni
It feels like you're about to be deceased
then he hisses in your ear,
"I truly like you, dear,
"And sssssssomeday (maybe) you will be releassssssed."
Yeah, that's what I want to read to my little guy! Maybe I just don't care for snakes that much.
You feel a faint restriction
Of serpentine constriction
In moments you can barely breathe or cough
You face a scary issue
Is the boa going to squish you?
It's impossible to yank the serpent off
Even though you're bony
He clings like macaroni
It feels like you're about to be deceased
then he hisses in your ear,
"I truly like you, dear,
"And sssssssomeday (maybe) you will be releassssssed."
Yeah, that's what I want to read to my little guy! Maybe I just don't care for snakes that much.
August 17, 2011
A pretty funny book, but mostly because of the illustrations. The story, if there is really a story, seems basic to me. It starts with a kid who is not afraid of anything, but snakes. It then talks about a whole bunch of snakes that appear under this kids bed and describes them and how they basically take over the house. The out of nowhere the snakes are good and can be used as thermometers, clarinets or bayonets. At the end there is a big snake that seems to be squeezing the kid, but it is really hugging it. Nice twist, but the flow of the story didn't quite work for me. Nonetheless, I had fun looking at the illustrations as they are really hilarious.
May 4, 2015
1. This was a very fun poem type of book! The author used unique rhymes and made the story interesting with the way that she wrote. It would be more of an introduction to information with snakes though.
2. This would be a great read aloud for a K-2 classroom that was introducing animals in their science unit. It would be great to engage the students on learning about snakes and make them laugh about snakes. It would also be a great independent read for a K-2 student to build their vocabulary and build a framework on snakes. This would be a great book for a unit on snakes or animals!
2. This would be a great read aloud for a K-2 classroom that was introducing animals in their science unit. It would be great to engage the students on learning about snakes and make them laugh about snakes. It would also be a great independent read for a K-2 student to build their vocabulary and build a framework on snakes. This would be a great book for a unit on snakes or animals!
June 8, 2016
Alice loved this book so much that she "read" it on her own all day (in the car on the way home from the library, under the table while I made lunch, in her room). It is a truly horrifying book about a kid who isn't afraid of anything, except snakes. Of course, the book is then about how snakes infest his entire house, swarm under his bed, sneak up on him in any number of terrifying ways, and finally constrict him and won't let him go. Why my daughter loves this book is a mystery to me. She's a Florida girl!
January 16, 2016
What a horrible book! If your children don't have a fear of snakes before reading this book, they might afterward. A little boy in the books is afraid of snakes and imagines all sorts of horrible situations where snakes are after him. Hardly bedtime reading.
Who cares what the illustrations are like - the book is awful!
Who cares what the illustrations are like - the book is awful!
March 24, 2012
This was a wonderful poem with lots of creative drawings of snakes in all sizes shapes and colors. It shows some many unsual ways to use a snake...as a garden hose, a set of drapes or a playground swing.
August 13, 2013
This book was so fun to read. The kids love rhyming books & this one was very clever & funny. I'll probably be asked to read this a few more times before we take it back to the library, and I'm good with that.
November 5, 2007
Not as good as either Skunks or Bugs.
April 14, 2008
So good!
November 15, 2010
It started off well enough, but after having to explain to a four and seven year old what herculean, pyroclastic, fer-de-lance, phosphoresce mean it just gets tedious after awhile.
November 10, 2012
It's funny. It rhymes and my boys thought it was great.
May 15, 2013
Not for ophidiophobics.
December 31, 2013
I love the vocabulary in this book, and the rhyming and rhythm were great. Not a book for someone afraid of snakes, but my 6 year old boy loved it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews