Animals Nobody Loves

My elementary school students love Seymour Simon's non-fiction and so do my own children. This book gives fascinating examples of how some of the least "cute" animals adapt and survive. It introduces children to the notion that all kinds of animals have value in our ecosystem. Each page has interesting facts and photographs, but the great thing about this book is the overall theme that these animals are not infesting or killing because they are mean. It is just how they survive.

My students love this book! Seymour Simon is one of our favorite authors: his clear and engaging photographs are strongly supported by text that is both engaging and scientifically accurate. A win-win for classroom teachers! This book is easier than some of Simon's other books (which include higher-level vocabulary but are written with such clear description and stunning imagery that they are well worth reading aloud to kids who can't yet access them themselves). I appreciated this accessible introduction to the author. I have recommended it to many kids and they end up feeling a little bit sorry for some of the misunderstood creatures Simon chronicles.

Pictures are great...very true to life. Great book to introduce children to diverse animals with whom they might not want to get too up close and personal. Would highly recommend this book for all coffee tables, desk tops, and reading areas around any home. And by the way, who says that these are Animals Nobody Loves????

My students love Seymour Simon books. I used this for a station on main ideas. They chose to read about one animal and come up with a fitting title that tells why the poor creature isn't loved. They asked to do more than one. I have recommended it to other teachers.

Story time with 23 preschool students can be wiggly, easily-interrupted time, but this book kept them rooted. The close-up pictures of icky or scary beasties had them wide-eyed and slack-jawed and even the ones who would lose their voices when asked any other questions were willing to chime in about if they would want this or that animal in their house (or bed, or bathtub) and why not. The pictures are big and fascinating. The information is real, no fairytale talking monsters here, and that is intriguing to them as well. I kept the book for a week and went a few days before showing it again. I was impressed with how well they remembered the information about each animal and it led to them requesting more books about whatever their favorite had been, shark, spider, bat, etc. It's well worth a read or two or three!

Excellent book for teaching main idea. My class loved it and we referred to it often.

Author Seymour Simon does it again! I teach 4th and 5th grade and love finding a new (to me) Seymour Simon book to use as a mentor text. I enjoyed the large, detailed photographs and the way the information was presented. Very interesting! I will be using this book as a mentor text for informational writing.

If your are looking for something science/ engineering/ nature for your elementary student to read I highly recommend Seymour Simon! Amazing photos, great details and well written. He has become our go to. :)