Book 218: Bats by Gail Gibbons

Bats by Gail Gibbons

BATS

by Gail Gibbons, author and illustrator

Gail Gibbons is a master of children’s nonfiction.  She writes and illustrates her own books so they are very well done.  Children who enjoy nonfiction will want to read every one of her books.  She does not use photographs and so she can focus on what is being explained with close-ups, diagrams, labels, and other nonfiction conventions in the illustrations.  This is a link to her teaching resources page.  This is a link to a page of bat links, many appropriate for children.  This is a link to my previous blog entry for her CATS book, and this is to my previous entry for her OWLS book.

BATS by Gibbons is beautifully illustrated book with many descriptive pages explaining the life and abilities of bats.  There are pictures such as the two-page spread in the middle of the book which discusses echo location and sound waves.  It says, “A bat sends out a rapid beeping sound too high-pitched for people to hear.  When hunting, the sound waves hit an insect . . . in a flash, the bat scoops up the insect.”  We need bats or we would have too many insects.

This book helps children realize that bats are shy, gentle, and helpful creatures. Some even drink nectar just as hummingbirds and butterflies do.  Most people have never seen a bat.  The fact people almost never see bats is reassuring to children in the same way dinosaurs are extinct.  Exciting animals we will probably never encounter are more fun to learn about for some reason.  This is a wonderful book about bats and if you are only going to buy one bats book, this is the one!

My free PDF work page, coloring page, and answer key:  bats work and color page PDF

My FREE 14 page PDF nonfiction conventions student work booklet on TpT (ratings very much appreciated)

Happy reading,