Product Description
Terrarium hobbyists interested in acquiring a truly exotic pet as well as life science students will find virtually everything they need to know about keeping a tarantula in captivity. This book includes detailed information on the natural history and biology of these fascinating creatures, and the care chapter has been completely updated and revised. The book is filled with color photos and scientifically accurate line art, most of which examples are new to this second edition. Since its initial publication, hobbyists have come to consider this book the Â"Bible of Arachnoculture.Â" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Must buy tarantula book...
With our new tarantula came a lot, A LOT, of questions on proper care. Internet searches came up with conflicting information.
Then I found this book. All other reviews were excellent, so I tried it.
This is truly a MUST HAVE book that covers anything and everything to do with your new 8 legged friend. From feeding, to care of pet, this book covers it all.
Buy it and enjoy!

Keepers guide ...The Best book on tarantulas out there
The Tarantula Keepers guide is the most complete book on the market for raising, housing,breeding,feeding and loving tarantulas. I have spent hours on the internet looking at the "info" thats around and the only thing I learned is that info is very different from site to site. This book is a favorite among Tarantula hobbiest.

All you need to get started
I have made this review 4 stars for only one reason, and that is because early in the read, this book tends to have too much technical info, history, scientific references and lengthy discussions on nomenclature for the beginner, and even for the well strung enthusiast. But at the same time these points make this book almost seem as though it belongs in a college classroom in it's professionalism and thoroughness.
However, if you pay attention to the prompts earlier on in the book, you will quickly be directed to the portions of the book that will hold the most relevant info for most topics you need info on. It is quite clear that tarantulas are suffering a severe lack of study, and this book lends you as much information as seems available on many topics, I would definitely suggest other reading material on tarantulas to broaden ones knowledge on these illusive and fantastical creatures, especially if looking for specific species accounts, information, care sheets etc, although if you read this book, you will find that most species can be cared for in similar fashion, and this book makes it very clear how simple it really can be.
If you are a budding enthusiast or an experienced keeper, this is definitely a book to have in your collection even if just for the sake of reference, you will find everything from basic care info to current breeding methods, most certainly worth it's price.

A must for Tarantula owners
As stated a must for tarantula beginners and pro's alike. easy to understand, lots of pics, professional tips, and advice. A wide database of information on anything about Tarantulas

The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Comprehensive Information on Care, Housing, and Feeding
This a book easy to read with a good to best information , it coverts most aspect for keeping and raising Tarantulas, most info is in time and recommended to all beginners and source for fast display needed for professional breeders. ... Read more

Product Description

Bob Dylan wrote Tarantula in 1966. It existed for years only in dog-eared bootleg copies, but was eventually published in 1971. The book captures the tone and spirit of the turbulent times in which it was written. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

"THERE IS NO SENSE IN TRYING"
I bought this book because I wanted the picture on the front cover.However, I forgot to read the reviews beforehand so I was sort of surprised to read the content.Short clips of sort of short stories or takes or thoughts--each has a title all right.Nothing to write home about.Maybe you can read bits and pieces on your breaks at work.Maybe some of this stuff had to do with Bob taking drugs back then.I really laughed until I cried reading portions of two of them--really really funny.Silly funny sometimes, very deep thinking emptyness, peaks of intelligence with overcast mud slides.I don't know really what to call the contents of this book.Is it worth buying?You be the judge.Hey, the picture on the front cover must have been professionally done!!!That's worth something!!You might have lots of fun reading, you might get annoyed, but at least we reviewers gave you prospective buyers disclosure statements so if you do buy, you can't really complain later on.Just when you think this is nonsense, you see glimses of genius and deep thought, just when you think this is a message of deep thought you find yourself saying, "oh this is nonsense."He keeps you guessing all along all right.

Know the price you pay, and if you can afford it and are curious, go ahead and purchase it.If you worship Bob Dylan, anything he says or does will be perfect and great.It will be another part of Bob's work that you will have on hand.

I think he took us for a ride on this one.I think he just wanted to have fun with the reader, never letting his true thoughts or feelings be known, and not really trying too hard to achieve much of anything by writing it--that's what I call real talent and genius!!! You go and try that!! Ha Ha.He just gives you a glimse into his overachieving mind back then.He is obviously brilliant, and his writings give you this glimse into his creative mind--whichever direction it wanted to go . . .

Some content will be less than enlightening and less than sensitive but still within boundaries of acceptable, I guess.

If you want LITERARY GENIUS, may I suggest The Tale of Genji, written in the year 1000 by a Japanese noble lady, Murasaki Shikibu, and considered to be the VERY FIRST NOVEL--but what a novel it is!!!Now that's a BOOK!!!!!!!!!!

The Dangers of Heroin
Dylan is by far the greatest songwriter of all-time and perfectly deserving of a noble prize in literature if ever one is bestowed upon him. However this stream of consciousness book is pure crap. It will be a highly collectible book if you have the first edition, first printing in good conditon in about 50 years. Till then read Lyrics 1961-2001 or Chronicles vol.1 instead.

Strange meal
You`ve more than probably heard the man`s music, and for sure you thought that was great. Most people would go as far as calling Dylan`s texts litterature. He`s even been mentioned several times as a fair Nobel Prize candidate. If they had one for music, he surely would have had it long time ago.

Well, Tarantula, initially expected to come out around 1967 (You can see him working on the typewriter in Pennebaker`s Don`t Look Back (London 1965).) was published in 1969. The book`s reception was, to put it gently, mixed. The publisher didn`t want it when they read the result, but the contract was signed, and the end of that was Tarantula in the book stores.

This book is a chaotic caleiodoscope of odd characters, taken out of an American pre-Vietnam social context. They are all blended into the ink of Dylan`s pen, which flows like the salty water near Cape Horn on a windy day.

You need patience to read this book; but if you have that and in addition you fancy the temperature of Bobby`s head; then this strange meal is yours.

Odd, but highly enjoyable
if you only skim the lines in Bob Dylan's prose, it appears to be random words and phrases...however, there's a lot of meaning to be found between the lines...that being said, i've never actually listened to his music or sat and read his lyrics, but i love poetry that's full of metaphor and requires thought because why write poetry if you mean exactly what you say?the prose in this work offers something different each time it's read and it's my favorite book of poetry.

Tarantula - by Bob Dylan
Possibly the worst book ever written.Self indulgent free associative codswallop from the days when you could get away with it because your readers were stoned ... Read more

Product Description
Humorous, heart-warming, and just plain entertaining, these stories by Newbery Medalist Jean Craighead George recall what life was like as she raised three children and 173 wild pets. On any given day there might be a bat in the refrigerator, an owl in the shower, or a crow at the kitchen table. Jean Craighead George’s respect for nature and its many creatures is evident in all of her writing. Here, she offers a personal, firsthand account of the many animals that made their way into her life and her books.

1996 ‘Pick of the Lists’ (ABA)
1996 Children’s Books (NY Public Library)Amazon.com Review
Jean Craighead George deserves to be ranked among the greatchildren's writers of our time. Of her previous books, Julie of the Wolveswon a NewberyMedal and My Sideof the Mountain is one of the most thrilling and engagingbooks ever written for kids. The Tarantula in My Purse is amemoir of sorts, telling the tales of the various animals that havepassed through George's house, from "The Screech Owl Who LikedTelevision" to "The Goose and the Duck Who Were Arrested forDisturbing the Peace." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Loving family and its critters
This Newbery-winner whose recognized books (My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves) I have read and appreciated greatly, has something very different here.Each chapter is a vignette about one or more of the wild animals that have come into her home for raising.There are some interesting and fascinating goings-on, some animals one wouldn't normally think of as domestic, and lots of good basic scientific information about a number of them.The crows alone are much more dynamic than one would have reason to expect.This is accessible, completely pleasurable for a reader from chapter books on up.For a youngster whose attention span is more suited toward these short stories/chapters, a fun read about animals, family, freedom, wild vs. domestic, and so on.Recommended warmly.

Talking Crows and Watchdog Bullfrogs
This book is really good in the beginning, but it's weak at the end.It is a good book, but the chapters lack order.It has some humor, and we learned a lot about wild animals.She uses complex words, but she includes context clues so we were able to figure out what they mean.We recommend this book for fourth through seventh graders and adults who love animals.

Something for all ages!
While the target audience is kids, this book is really fun reading for all ages.Not many families would dare to take in the pets that the George family did, including a skunk with its stinker gland (not the technical term, sorry), nor is it really advisable.But the George family was knowledgable about wildlife biology and knew how to take care of the animals they took in.I was surprised to find that almost every story taught me something new about animal behavior and intelligence.Reading the story may make you or your kids want to find wild pets, but imbued in each story is also a lesson in how much responsibility it takes as well.What I enjoyed the most, though, is the autobiographical nature of this book that gives a picture of an impressive family. The 3 kids had childhoods that were full of adventure, affection, and education.They have all grown up to be impressive and accomplished adults.I think one can glean some lessons here on how to raise happy kids who respect nature and how to cultivate their curiosities into independent thinking.I'm an adult now, but reading this book makes me want to be a kid rediscovering the natural world again.

The Taratula in My Pursea review by:Krissy
Have you ever taken a frog home that you found in the woods? I bet your mom told you to put it outside immediately. Well, if you went to the Georges' household, the setting of my story, that is all you would find! Tarantulas, crows, owls, fish, frogs, you name it and you will probably find it roaming freely in the house. Jean Craighead George, the mother and protagonist, was raised to love animals and keep them as her pets, so she brought up her three children the same way. You probably can't believe that someone would keep a skunk as a lovable pet, but they did!

The only animal you wouldn't hear about in their house was a bear! The Georges even had a pond, as real as one outside, in their house built by their neighbor who worked with cement. Read this book and find out why all the fish in their pond start dying. Find out why they had to get rid of a crow as viscous as a hunting dog, or how they found a baby bird as small as a cotton ball that could fit in a teacup. It is all in the amazing and funny book The Tarantula in My Purse.I learned a lot of interesting facts from this book, and other times I couldn't stop laughing. This book was absolutely terrific and fun to read!

I thought this book was amazing! The people in my story instinctively kept wild animals as pets! Even when you had to get a special permit, they got one. I think it is hard enough having just a dog as a pet. I could hardly imagine acquiring so many wild pets and having to research exactly what they need. What amazes me is that it wasn't just their mother that did all the work and research, it was the kids too! They helped out, and researched and cleaned up after their animals. The children would never, not do something because it was too messy or they were afraid. Twig, one of those children, had an owl, Yammer, which was soft, gray, and loved television. One day Yammer was watching television stiff as a board, he fell off his perch. Immediately, Twig picked him up and cuddled with him just like he was her baby brother!

This book taught me to be a little more responsible when caring for my dog. They never complained when caring for their many wild pets. I really thought this was a good book to see how you should be responsible when caring for your pet if you want more and more!

The protagonists, a family of four, loved wild animals. One of them was a hard working mother. She was divorced when her children were young, so she had to work extremely hard to keep her children and animals happy. Before Jean Craighead George had kids she would go places and research animals. This family of Jean and her three children, Twig, Craig and Luke all researched animals over the years and knew a lot about them, just by taking them as pets. From the beginning of this story, until the end when her kids left and were now adults, the Georges had over one hundred seventy-two pets! Whether they stayed for a day or a year, whether they were a bird or a snake, Jean Craighead and her family took good care of them.

I thought the characters in my book were very different from most people I know. It would take me a lot of time to get used to living in their household. I am not used to having wild animals saunter around my house. The whole George family seemed jaunty. Although they had lots of difficulties with their wild pets, they never seemed to be very solemn or act gravely. Many times, though, I thought it would be fun to play with all the baby chicks, turtles and birds. I liked how the characters got the animals to love them and do all these funny things every time they wanted to play or eat. Finally, I enjoyed how passionate they were about their pets. You never had to tell them twice to play with their animals, because that was all they did!

So, do you think you love animals? Well, you should read this book to see how much you could really love animals and find out interesting facts. This book was terrific, it taught good morals and made you laugh, it even taught you some cool facts. I encourage you to read this book.

The best animal book ever!
This book is amazing!It is a true story about Jean Craighead George's life with wild pets.If you like wild animals, you'll love this book!Jean is the narrator of the book as well as the author.I think she would make a great animal caretaker.I really liked this book and I think you would, too, if you tried it! ... Read more

Product Description
Despite their ferocious reputation, tarantulas are fascinating animals to observe, and can be kept in a home terrarium. This volume advises on their maintenance and care. Books in the Complete Pet Owner's Manuals series present basic information about pets for new or soon-to-be owners. Advice and instruction covers feeding, housing, health care, training, grooming, protection against hazards, and more. Texts emphasize pet care basics and are easy for all readers to understand, but most titles also present facts that even experienced pet owners and breeders will find new and useful. All books in this series are filled with high quality full-color photos and instructive line art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good starter book
This is a good starter book for tarantula hobbyists with lots of great pictures to help identify various spider breeds.A good addition to any spider library.

Good Book
This book has been extremly helpful. Recommend to all who have or plan on having Tarantulas.

Greatintroduction book for the hobby
If you are interested in owning a tarantula or are new to the hobby I highly reccomend this book.It is well writen to the point and covers a lot of BASIC care information without getting to scientific or to historical.Great pictures and it has a pretty good section on different tarantulas in the hobby (talks about the temprement, housing, etc,) which will help you to choose what tarantula is right for you. This is a must for any tarantula hobbyist.Well worth your money.

A Great Book
Whether new to having a pet tarantula, or a little further along in the hobby, this is a great book to have on hand. All the basic questions/concerns about keeping a tarantula are well-covered in this book. There are also many beautiful color photos of tarantulas that will make you want to keep expanding your collection! There is far less information on keeping other spiders and scorpions, but it is still very helpful if you are starting out. ... Read more

Product Description
Uncover a Tarantula examines the structure and anatomy of the largest spiders in the world and provides fascinating facts and information on each exciting page. Learn how these predators capture and kill other insects and animals, use their bodies to protect and camouflage themselves and why their blood is green. This full-color illustrated book combines the best model elements to help readers truly uncover the mysteries of what makes things work. A fascinating three-dimensional presentation allows in-depth, hands-on exploration of the subject at hand. This unique model is easily built, deconstructed, and rebuilt layer-by-layer, system-by-system, just by turning a page, until an understanding of the topic is achieved. Kids will love to see and touch each disgusting but interesting tarantula part! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Attractive but not accessible to all ages
I was lucky enough to find this book at a local thrift store, and kept it in my classroom during a second grade science unit on plants and animals. The students who discovered it on the shelf, or went through the pages by my side, loved looking at it. The book says it's for ages 8 and up, but the text was way too advanced for any of my 7 year olds to read. I'm debating about whether or not to put this on the shelf in my preschool classroom. I'm sure the students will love exploring the 3D rendition of the tarantula in layers, but it doesn't work as a read-aloud or even a read-along with at younger ages.

There's a massive amount on informative text on each page. I would highly recommend this book, but wish it were a bit more accessible to younger and more developing readers.

Great idea
These books are a great idea, information and fun mixed together. My 7 year old reads them over and over.

Interesting Read
We enjoy it.I just thought from the cover that it would be more "tarantula" looking.It is a "see through body"We love the details in the articles.Alot of fun information!We like looking at the "inside" of the tarantula.

Wonderful teaching aid!
This is a wonderful book that will help answer questions that children (and adults too!)will invariably have about these small wonders.

The embedded model nests well within itself, and the illustrations and text are full of interesting information about tarantulas. The organs are duplicated faithfully, compared to illustrations and photographs of dissected tarantulas I have seen, even with the enlargement. This makes understanding the anatomy and physiology much easier.

Children and adults will learn much about these misunderstood creatures and hopefully will treat them with more respect and dignity than they have received in the past. This book may go a long way to protecting and preserving these fascinating jewels of nature.

Awesome EducationalTools
My 8 year old son absolutely LOVES his T-Rex uncover book and is asking for all the rest of them for Christmas!!For young inquisitive minds, these books are ideal. My son loves looking at all the different layers and reading the great facts.

A definite + purchase! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Book review: The Tarantula Scientist
Sy Montgomery writes for adults and young people. Her introduction to animals/insects/reptiles is both enducational and entertaining. I KNOW my 11 year old grandson will love this creepy, crawly book. If you are a grown-up, try her Birdology book. It, too, is quite wonderful.

Are they strong?Listen, bub.
I have no problems with spiders.When an arachnid lodges itself in the upper right hand corner of my shower, it's me (not my hubby) who forces it into an empty glass and releases it back into the wilderness (i.e. out the window).I don't think they're particularly cute, but I respect what they do.Similarly, I didn't think I had any problems with tarantulas either.I'd never held one or stared one in the eight eyes, but I wasn't about to freak out over reading Sy Montgomery's excellent addition to the "Scientists In the Field" series.It was with zero reluctance that I plucked "The Tarantula Scientist" from its shelf and proceeded to page through it.Just my bad luck that such paging began with a stomach churning view of young gooey transparent tail whip scorpions riding on their mother's back, really.To my infinite surprise I found portions of this book grotesque, other parts, disturbing, and every single page can't-physically-tear-my-eyes-away fascinating.For any kid vaguely considering transferring their love of the creepy crawlies into a full time career, this book is a must-have.Just keep a firm grip on your phobias while you peruse it.

Our hero is named Sam Marshall.He's an average college professor (go Hiram!) with a truly above-average obsession.Marshall loves tarantulas.He loves to travel to distant rainforests and observe them in the wild.He loves to tend to his five hundred live spiders in Hiram College's Spider Lab.But most of all, he loves to discover new and interesting things about the species.Tarantulas, as it happens, are relatively mysterious creatures.No one in the scientific community has ever taken the time to understand their growth rates, space needs, ways of creating homes, social obligations, etc.No one until now, that is.With Sam at the your side, the book takes the reader up close and personal with these magnificent lords of the jungle floor.You watch as Sam coaxes a Goliath birdeater tarantula out of its hole.You thrill to see (in graphic color photographs that could win awards for presentation alone) these tarantulas as they shed their furry spiky skins.You cower as Sam navigates a snake ridden cave floor to capture more and more tarantulas for his needs.From the comfort and calm of Ohio to the dangerous but beautiful forests of French Guiana the daring life of an arachnologist has never been so thrillingly portrayed.

This book won the coveted Sibert Honor as one of the best non-fiction books of the year.It's hardly a surprise though.First of all, the pairing of author Sy Montgomery with photographer Nic Bishop is nothing short of inspired.Sy's text makes scientist Sam Marshall come alive for child readers.Through him they learn how one becomes a world premiere tarantula specialist.The book intersperses factual information about the spiders with the actions Sam takes from place to place.Best of all, the book includes a fabulous selected bibliography, spider websites of note, info on French Guiana, and a portion discussing what to do if you're thinking of buying your own personal tarantula.None of this cold hard information keeps Montgomery from placing little moments of reflection in his text as well.A discussion of a hike through the rainforest notes that finding answers to science questions, "means long hikes through a wet, warm rainforest where even the sunlight glows green through the leaves".And the book really shows how scientific discoveries are made.Kids in school might be under the mistaken impression that all facts about the known world are... well... known.But by reading this book we watch and Sam notices something about a spider (it makes a noise, possibly with its legs), tests a theory (by shaving the spider's legs), and reaches a logical conclusion (the noise DOES come from the legs!).What other book does this so well, I dare ask?

And still there are the pictures.Oh the pictures.Bright beautiful full page color pictures that can't help but grab your attention.You see crazy insects, a bag FULL of empties tarantula skins (mesmerizing to say the least), webs, a tarantula flinging spikes at an opponent, and more.My sole regret was that the book goes on for some time about the beauty of a rare bird (whose name Amazon.com won't let me write here, doggone it), but never shows us so much as a glimpse.

All in all, spiders have never been so well documented and presented for the general child reader public.If you're tired of wearing socks all the time and wouldn't mind getting your socks knocked off, here is the place to start.It will scare little kids, entrance older kids, and mildly freak out parents.What more could any good science book do?

Great and Inspiring book for younger readers!
Even squeemish spider-haters couldn't help but love this book, it's so readable and fun!ArachnologistSam Marshall leads the author and photographer on a quest that will inspire even the most reluctant young scientist.Journeying through the jungles of French Guiana, we enounter the world's largest spider, the Goliath Birdeater Tarantula.Nic Bishop's photos of the spiders are unexpectedly beautiful (how many eyes does that thing have?); he even managed to capture images of a spider shedding it's skin on a silk mat it wove especially for the occasion. The book has a lot of human interest as well, as readers learn that Marshall was an apathetic student himself, until the joy of discovery through research snared him.(Marshall is considered to be the world's foremost authority on tarantulas, and now is director of a the J.H. Barrow Field Station at Hiram University, where he is also an assistant professor.)One of the neat things about this book, beyond telling us everything about tarantuals, is that it gives us a glimpse what scientific inquiry means in the field and lab. There are photos of young lab students working with their research projects; a grade 5-8 reader would relate and be inspired by this portrayal. This book would be an excellent addition to any middle school library or a great gift for an aspiring biologist or tarantula owner.

More than a picturebook but not quite a pre-teen read
Kids in grades 4-6 and more will relish Nic Bishop's startling close-up photos and scientist Sy Montgomery's vivid descriptions of scientific investigations in his Tarantula Scientist. Almost 80 pages pack in the photos and plenty of facts about the giant spiders, and will delight kids of all grade levels with accounts of investigative qualities. More than a picturebook but not quite a pre-teen read, this will reach a larger audience than most simple spider coverages. ... Read more

Product Description
With proper care and maintenance, these unique creatures cna make great pets. Learn why they are becoming so popular and how to keep them healthy and safe.

The Quick & Easy series features educational, value-priced books. All pet owners will benefit from reading the wide variety of titles in this series, each offering an abundance of advice in a delightfully concise format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Tarantulas
good lucking book a perfect gift to a insects hobbies nice presentations beautiful photos and easy reading.

Older than dirt, but ...........
.....Yes this book is old, it was written in the 1970's.It was the first Tarantula book I purchased when I got into the hobby.All the pet stores sold it.It gives you all the necessary info you will need to successfully keep a pet Tarantula healthy and happy.I often wonder if Mr. Browning still keeps Tarantulas?

older than dirt!
I am pretty new to the hobby of tarantulas and I am the type of person that actually enjoys research.I bought this book to add to my library and boy am I sorry I did.This book is soooo old.I know that it says that it's published in 1989 but the pictures are straight from the late 70's (light blue polyester suits,...imagine the movie "Boogie Nights").The information is nothing that could not be found on the internet with a google search and if you have been in the hobby of tarantulas you will realize that information is hard to come by and tends to vary and change through the years.I'd have to say pass on this one and buy "The Tarantula Keepers Guide" or my favorite "Tarantulas and other Arachnids."

Best Book on Tarantulas out there!
John Browning's Book, Tarantulas, Is the best, most comprehensive, book on tarantulas I own. It explains how raise and breed your tarantulas, whats kinds food and housing to give them, and how to enter them in local 4-Hcontests!If have you the slightest intrest in tarantulas, buy this book.Tell Em' Tarantula Boy sent you. ... Read more

Product Description
These creatures are relatively long-lived with life-spansof up to 20 years or more, as well as hardy and easy to maintain withthe proper information. This book presents an overview of methods forthe husbandry of a variety of tarantulas and scorpions. Selection,housing & maintenance, feeding, molting, handling, breeding, raisingbabies and more. 78 pp. B&W photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Useful Arachnomaniac Book
This short (80 pgs) book is exactly what the subtitle says "The general care and maintenance of tarantulas & scorpions." Although there are no color photos the black and white photos are okay but more importantly is the information the author places between the pics. The table of contents is as follows: Part One: Tarantulas: introduction, general information, selecting tarantulas, housing and maintenance, maintenance, feeding, molting, handling, breeding, raising captive bred tarantulas, notes on popular species, diseases and disorders; Part Two: Scorpions: general information, housing and maintenance, feeding, handling, breeding, notes on popular species, scorpions: source materials. A nice feature is that under the general information of the tarantulas and scorpions sections he explains sexing. Filled with good ideas and suggestions this book will be treasured by anyone beginning with these fascinating animals. Doubtless, if you are a serious hobbyist of tarantulas and/or scorpions you should own this book.

Good book for everyone!
This is probably the best book I have come across on tarantulas and scorpions. It is easy to read and understand, with lots of information that is useful for both beginners and experienced hands alike. Philippe DeVosjoli has a knack for making his book interesting with his style ofwriting. This book is definitely worth its price! ... Read more

Product Description
Talk show host Katy Did, of KBUG Radio, interviews a special guest, Harry the Tarantula, who tells her listeners lots of wild things about spiders! This clever picture book will tickle kids’ funny bones while imparting accurate science information in a fresh, imaginative way. Nosy Katy questions the hairy spider about his latest adventure—being captured in a bottle by an inquisitive child. Then she pries into Harry’s personal life to get "the latest chirp" about tarantula size, diet, poisonous bites, and other juicy details. Zany yet informative pictures by noted illustrator Henrik Drescher enhance the playful tone of the book, and an illustrated chart at the end provides more fun facts about these creatures that kids find so intriguing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Pass on this one...
The story is not very good to begin with.My 3 year old daughter picked it from the library, but was bored with it when we began to read.We stopped when we came to information about how Harry transfers his sperm sack.It goes on to tell about Harry tapping the female in "all the right places" to "put her in a romantic mood."I may be old fashioned, but to me, no children's book should have the word "sperm" in it.I'm also not ready to talk about reproduction with my 3 year old.I realize that National Geographic tends to be frank and informative, but this was too much for little kids.She is at the age where every new word gets used 100 times a day and I don't want her talking about sperm at daycare.Pass on this one...there are much better books out there.Luckily, we got it from the library, so we didn't waste money on it.

Fun Story for Kids who Love Bugs
[[ASIN:0792251229 An Interview with Harry the Tarantula]
Very enjoyable story for those kids who are fascinated with bugs and spiders.My daughter really enjoys reading this and I love the humor.

Fun and informitive
This book was great. It is an interview on KBUG Radio by Katy Did of Harry Spyder. A National Geographic book it delivers facts in a fun way. The pictures are a little wild but my 8 year old really liked this book. Would be great for a unit on spiders too.Recommended for grades Kindergarten-3rd.

Taken by surprise!
My 6 year old son brought Harry home from the school library.We thought it was real cute- great pictures, fun information...I was TOTALLY surprised when I got to the reproduction page.I though there was unnecessary information about "tapping in the right places" to get the spider "in a romantic mood" - Too much info for a 6 year old.My 8 year old was FULL OF QUESTIONS.I didn't mind the science part- it's the mentioned part that took me by surprise!!

Informative AND Cute
Through interview format this book presents great insight into the life of tarantula.This book provides children with a delightful journey through some nonfiction; this is something children need more of.With all the nonfiction reading children have to do in upper grades, I try to expose them to as much of it as I can.This book shows children that nonfiction does not have to be dry and boring.I learned a lot about tarantulas through this book; they were creatures I never thought much about before.This text helps to make them seem less "creepy" to children.My students love this book and a few of them like to take the book aside and play the parts of tarantula and interviewer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Tarantulas and other aachnis.
one of the best little books, great information, magnific pictures and easy to understand care and all aspects for Tarantula breeding and keeping. hope they continue research and publishing more new tips.

Tarantulas and other arachnids,Good begginners book
This book was a great help when it came to aspects of arachnid keeping such as feeding, living conditions and mating.This was my first book when I was begginning to keep Tarantulas and it taught me what I needed to know about keeping my pet happy and comfortable.It also was very informative when it came to the biology of the arachnids and explianed about everything from thier fangs to thier spinnerets. The only major problem I found with this book is it's insufficient explaination of spider habits and psychology.Because I was a begginner I wasn't sure how my spider felt and what it's different reactions to events meant. This book is excellent for begginners and I would recommend it to anyone starting out with arachnids although anyone with interests in arachnids behaviour then you should possibly consider a book which concentrates on it.

tarantulas and other arachnids
This is a well written, very informative book covering just about all aspects of tarantula care.It is a must for the beginners, and still helpful to the more experienced.Covering the basics of anatomy, husbandry, handling, breeding, etc..Good amount of species specific information, too.Housing requirements for aboreals, opportunistic burrowers, obligate burrowers, is very informative.Great book.

A must read
I'm new to Tarantula keeping and needed a reference which was well researched informative and easy to understand. Sam Marshall's book is allof these things and more. The books many illustrations are also veryhelpful. Great for newcomers to the hobby.

Tarantulas and Other Arachnids bySamuel D. Marshall
This is a brilliant book if you have not owned a arachnid before, as it tells you a lot about keeping your first one. Is has a good chapter on foodfor them, and it tells you how to house and breed them very clearly andsimply. Probably the only bad point is that it specialises in tarantulas sothere is nut very much information on other arachnids such as huntingspiders, Windscorpions etc. but if you want to keep a tarantula it is avery cheap and good book, which will definately help you. ... Read more

Product Description
When Norman Thorman knocks over his chemistry experiment he doesn't know what havoc it will cause. For one thing his hair starts to grow in a peculiar way, standing up in spikes. Also a baby tarantula, which Norman unknowingly brought back from holiday, starts to grow at a very alarming rate. ... Read more

Product Description
The newest kid in Macinburg, Kentucky, eleven-year-old Ryan O'Keefe hits on a money-raising, people-meeting plan of charging the other kids an admission fee to see his pet tarantula's spectacular stunts. By the author of Just Call Me Stupid. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

tarantula shoes
"tarantula shoes" is very funny book. It is about a boy moves into a new town wants to be cool whith the other kids sohe trys to convince his parents to buy the shoes for him but there is just one problem they are 150$ so they say no. So he starts making events whith his tarantula to gain money but the spider was lost one day and blamed his friend and to find out what happens in the rest of the book youll need to read it.

tarantula shoes
"tarantula shoes" is very funny book. It is about a boy moves into a new town wants to be cool whith the other kids sohe trys to convince his parents to buy the shoes for him but there is just one problem they are 150$ so they say no. So he starts making events whith his tarantula to gain money but the spider was lost one day and blamed his friend and to find out what happens in the rest of the book youll need to read it.

The Tarantula is in movies
Tarantala Shoes

I really like this book because it was funny.A kid is living in Texas and then all of a sudden they are going to Kentucty.This book is very good because I read it.You should read the book.Sometimes it can get exciting and you will want to keep on reading the book.

Talking about "Tarantula Shoes."
"Tarantula Shoes" is great!Tom Birdseye is aWONDERFUL author.He makes you feel like you are there. When I read"Tatantula Shoes" I could really see how Ryan O'Keefe felt when moving and meeting new kids.I recommend this book because it is funny, but it also shows you real life problems and how to solve them. ... Read more

Product Description
This emergent reader series introduces children to different animals, from all around the world. Readers will explore each animal's habitat, learn about their eating habits, and discover other fascinating facts. ... Read more

Product Description
Tarantulas are gaining popularity as exotic pets. This book explains the biology, care, and feeding of tarantulas and includes color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great for Beginners
This book is great for the new tarantula owner.It has plenty of detail about keeping your new arachnid, but does not swamp you with confusing and useless material.The illustrations and color photos were very helpful when describing the anatomy of this creature.Overall, I am very satisfied with this book. It was a great resource to add to my collection of arachnid manuals. :) ... Read more

Product Description
In a book for tarantula lovers that will intrigue owners and breeders as well as those who are just plain curious about these giant spiders, Lenny Flank covers it all--from their creepy appearance to the reality of their delicate nature as fragile creatures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Generally Informative but Lacking Specific Detail
The book tells a good deal of general information such as care, housing, substrate, feeding, handling, and conservation. However, it doesn't talk about breeding and has little information on spiderling care. There aredescriptions of 20 species of tarantulas. While they do help you decidewhich tarantula to choose and its basic description, it lacks details ontaking care of some specific species (i.e., temperature). It gives a nicebackground on the evolution of spiders and tarantula anatomy. I especiallylike the author's style of writing, which is casual and comfortable, neverboring. The book has good notes on spider behavior and psychology. Thepictures are nice, but nothing extraordinary. I like how the book gaverecommended books and internet resources as well as breeders. The book isoverall useful and a good guide for novices, however experienced hobbyistsmay find it lacking when they want to know the details of a certain speciesof tarantula. I recommend it for beginners, but experienced owners willprobably know most of the information in the book and should find a bookwith more detail in it. ... Read more