Snake Conservation Society

Children's books are shown with a child icon

• A Gathering of Garter Snakes  by Lavies, B.  Published by Dutton Children's Books - 1993  ISBN: 978-0525450993
  This book focuses on the red-sided garter snake hibernacula at the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, Canada. It contains a lot of general snake information, differences in human responses to the snakes as they emerge from the hibernacula and move through towns, and the threat of roads to snakes.
• A Snake in the House  by McNulty, F.  Published by Scholastic, Inc., New York, NY. - 1994  ISBN: 978-0590447584
  This is a storybook that illustrates that it is best to leave snakes where they naturally occur rather than bringing them home as a “pet.” It also attempts to present the experience somewhat from the viewpoint of the snake which is rather novel and promising, in terms of instilling a sense of stewardship for snakes.
• A Snake’s Body  by Cole, J.  Published by Trumpet Club, New York, NY. - 1981 
  This book presents an in-depth, but understandable look, at a snake’s body. Unfortunately, the snake featured in this book is an Indian python rather than a colubrid or crotalid.
• Amazing Snakes  by Parsons, A.  Published by A. Knopf, New York, NY. - 1990  ISBN: 978-0863184321
  This Eyewitness Juniors book on snakes provide a good introduction to the diversity of this group, as well as information on movement, hunting techniques, snake morphology, etc.
• Baby Rattlesnake  by Ata, T. and Moroney, L.  Published by Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, CA. - 1989  ISBN: 978-0892392162
  This book presents of a Native American tale that tells of how a baby rattlesnake was impatient and received his rattlesnake before he was wise enough to use it, and the consequences of this. The book presents an opportunity to incorporate social studies, ethics and geography into the curriculum.
• Rattlesnakes  by Lockwood, S.  Published by The Child’s World, Chanhassen, MN. - 2006  ISBN: 978-1592965496
  This book features several rattlesnake species found in North America: 1) prairie rattlesnakes, 2) western diamondback rattlesnakes, 3) timber rattlesnakes, 4) eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and 5) eastern massasauga rattlesnakes. It includes conservation threats and recommendations.
• Snakes, a Sierra Club Wildlife Library book  by Grace, E.S.  Published by Sierra Club Books for Children, San Francisco, CA. - 1994  ISBN: 978-0871564900
  This book is on the advanced side and presents a much greater amount of information regarding snakes than any of the other books that I reviewed. It would be helpful for inclusion for use by teachers themselves and students who are particularly interested in this group. It would be particularly helpful in terms of teaching taxonomy, and the particular features of various families of snakes.
• Snakes, an Usborne Discovery Internet-linked publication  by Furth, R. and J. Sheikh-Miller  Published by Usborne Publishers - 2001  ISBN: 978-0794522407
  I generally like this book, but have real reservations in terms of the language used regarding venomous snakes and their “aggressiveness.”
• Snakes, Our Wild World Series  by Dennard, D.  Published by NorthWord Press, Chanhassen, MN. - 2003  ISBN: 978-1559718554
  This is a good introductory book to snakes. It covers locomotion, diet, hunting techniques, conservation threats and how you can help snakes. It also lists a number of internet sites that readers may investigate to learn more.
• The Fascinating World of Snakes  by Julivert, M.A.  Published by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc. - 1993  ISBN: 978-0812015645
  This is a good introduction to snakes on a global scale and includes explanations of hunting techniques and locomotion and reproductive strategies.
• The Life Cycle of a Snake  by Crossingham, J. and B. Kalman  Published by Crabtree Publishing, Inc. - 2003  ISBN: 978-0613591300
  This is a good introductory book about snakes. It includes information about conservation threats and what can be done to help snakes.
• The Singing Snake  by Czernecki, S. and T. Rhodes.  Published by Hyperion Paperbacks for Children - 1993  ISBN: 978-1562823993
  This book contains an Australian Aboriginal story of how the snake tried to cheat and win a music contest, and thus become the model for the didgeridoo. It would be good for incorporating social studies and/or geography and/or music into the curriculum.
• The Snake Scientist  by Montgomery, S.  Published by Smithsonian Press, Washington, D.C. - 1999  ISBN: 978-0618111190
  This book focuses on the research of Bob Mason of Oregon State University on the red-sided garter snake populations at Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, Canada. There is information regarding the various experiments that Bob and his students have conducted, the volunteers who come out to help, schoolchildren visits and major findings from Mason’s research. It includes information about roadkills, other conservation threats, and presents future research questions.