Amazing Bats

1. Bibliography

Simon, Seymour. 2005. Amazing Bats. San Francisco: Seastar Books. ISBN 1587172615


2. Plot Summary

Amazing Bats is an overview of bats. It mentions several kinds of bats and tells something about them. It tells facts like where some bats live, what some eat, and why people should not be afraid of them.

3. Critical Analysis

Simon Seymour’s book, Amazing Bats, is a well-written book for younger students. He tells accurate facts about bats and even explains some of the myths about them. He states, “Many stories about bats are untrue. For example, bats are not blind. Many bats can see very well.”

The book has a clear focus of introducing the reader to the world of bats by using simple vocabulary and definitions throughout, like when he defines hibernation.
“Other bats that live in cold places spend the winter in a deep sleep called hibernation.”

Seymour also has wonderful, intriguing details in his close up photographs of the bats. These glossy photos are part of the design of the book that is very eye-catching. The text is always written with colors that stand out from the background color.

This nonfiction book is short and is easily read cover to cover. Therefore, it does not have or need a table of content, index, and/ or glossary.

Seymour’s style in this book is a good work of nonfiction literature for a quick, broad look at bats. He explains things so that young readers can comprehend them. For example, “Most bats eat insects. A little brown bat can eat about 600 bugs an hour. That’s like you eating 20 pizza’s a night!” This comparison really helps the student grasp the amount the bats eat. He uses appropriate vocabulary and definitions for young readers.

This book is definitely a good introduction to bats and will spark kids curiosity to learn more about them.


4. Review Excerpts (s)

Review in School Library Journal
Gr 1-3-Gorgeous photographs distinguish these two books from similar titles. The first one begins with an introduction to the topic, followed by facts about where bats live, what they eat, and how they handle the cold weather.

5. Connections

* Invite students to write about bats.
* Allow students to search the internet for information on bats.
* Read other books about bats including fiction and poems.