Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator

by Sarah C. Campbell, Richard P. Campbell (Photographer)

A Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book

Perfect for kids interested in animals, science, and the world of their backyard, this photographic story of a day in the life of a wolfsnail offers a dramatic introduction to a little-known predator and the impact it has on habitats where it does not belong.

On a typical day, the wolfsnail hunts its other snails. Big, strong, and fast (for a snail), the wolfsnail has a taste for meat, and in some areas, it is called the cannibal snail. On the prowl, the wolfsnail finds the slime trail of a smaller snail and follows the path toward its prey. When the chase ends and the dramatic feast is done, nothing remains of the smaller snail... except an empty shell. 

Slithering and suspenseful, this enlightening book also includes amazing facts about the wolfsnail and a glossary.

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals, Science, Childrens, Nature, Biology

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2008

Reviews

[Benji Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those rare nonfiction books that makes a great read aloud. It's creepy and a little gross, and very intriguing. My students love it.

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that some snails were cannibalistic?  I sure didn't.  But hey, that's really metal of them, and I respect that.  Wolfsnails are a breed of snails that chase prey and eat smaller snails when they can find them.  The Campbells do a great job of following a snail and documenting its life so that younger readers can learn more about this intriguing (and somewhat frightening) animal.  Their photographs are high quality, and the narrative is one oddly filled with suspense for a nonfiction account.  Overall, this is a great book, and would be great for grades 2 to 4.

Review cross-listed here!

[James Govednik · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cool book! I had no idea there were snails that were meat eaters. For readers ages 6-8, this book takes us along with a wolfsnail as it hunts for food. The text and photographs work together seamlessly. The photographs are well-sequenced, and the pacing of the text builds our interest, with a bit of suspense. The font is large and clear, and builds from 1-2 sentences per page to 3-4 sentences during the heavier content portions of the book. The science vocabulary would be challenging for younger readers. Although the wolfsnail is not found in the Midwest, the Southeastern habitat represented here would look familiar to most students, and they could connect to some characteristics of the habitat--the home and garden setting, hostas, birds that might prey on the wolfsnail. Great scientific facts, info & glossary are included at the end of the book.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The wolfsnail turns to follow the trail.

It moves faster than other snails."

BEST first reader nonfiction of the year. No, seriously. There is this deadpan tone to the sparing prose that... it's about a snail! I just love this book.

[Andrea Riffle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was told as an informative text. Who would've thought of this creature to be quite the predator? This book explain how the Wolfsnail hunts and snags it's prey. This is typically done by by the snail using it's tentacles to search for food. It then grabs its victims and eats them, leaving an empty shell behind. The Wolfsnail then retreats to find a safe hiding place until the following day. This text would be useful in a classroom setting if used for instruction. The images and text coincide well with one another and work to tell the reader the information. By following the snail's entire day, the reader gets an engaging and really informative look as to how this creature lives. The facts presented on every page aid in adding to the generous amounts of detail found in this book. Overall, this was an interesting and informative story.

[Lin Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah C. Campbell has wonderful photographs and lets young readers learn more about an interesting character, the wolfsnail. What do they eat? How do they live? This is a great book for those who want to look more closely at the world around them or at their feet.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book from the Campbells. I'd never have picked it up randomly, but given that I've enjoyed their math books, I grabbed this, too. It almost makes me wish I lived in the SE US, and had tons of patience, and could see these snails for myself.

I learned, in the back matter, that "It takes a few years of good eating and growing for a wolfsnail to reach adulthood."

Any little naturalist (as I hope most kids are) will love this, as will parents and other educators who know the importance of the small.

[Maria Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

• 2009 Geisel Honor Book •

Neat, informative book! I had no idea some snails were meat eaters. The photographs support the text well, and there’s a nice bit of additional information in the endnotes. A bit dry overall, but an interesting book!

Materials used: photographs

Typeface used: “24-point Optima”

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nonfiction children's pictures book. This is a fun read if you're into slimy animals. It tells a tale of a wolfsnail and hunt for food. It's a nice factual book and offers real pictures of the wolfsnail. This would be a good read aloud story and a mini lesson.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative- who knew about these critters?!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What interesting things one can learn from picture books! This fascinating story is about the wolfsnail and how it hunts its prey. Wow images.

[Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Horrifying, comedic, eye opening...

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cannibal snail

[Nicole Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students learn what a snail eats and the process. Low tone colors, interesting, can promote children to reenacting how a snail lives, or use it as a discovery starter to introduce different bugs.

[Natalia Muniz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite not what I expected when I first glanced at the front cover. I learned that Wolf snails are actually carnivores and eat other snails. This book shows the process/ food chain process of how the wolf snail gains its food and how some ecosystems can be disturbed if the wolf snail is taken out its normal habitat and put into others were it can thrive and have no predators.

[Janyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details information about the Wolfsnail. Did you know that the wolfsnail is a carnivore? This species of snail hunts other snails. It details the journey of this fast snail on the hunt for its prey. The pictures in the book are large and vibrant. This is a great books for children to learn about this species of snails.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

science picture book. engaging photos and informational text about a lesser-known (but still deadly!) predator. Read this one (paraphrasing some of the text to make it shorter) to a mixed-grade (2nd-6th) afterschool center--about 6-8 of the kids were really interested; the rest of the kids were fairly well engaged and thinking about the questions I posed to them throughout the reading (and we all wanted to see the wolfsnail find and devour its prey.) So not a super duper crowd pleaser like some of the raucously funny picture books out there, but an interesting STEM-y book that can be shared to encourage quieter reflection.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple introduction to a predator in many backyards that often goes unseen. Easy but informative text is accompanied by brilliant photographs, and there's further info in the back of the book on these unusual snails.

Let's face it. Kids are fascinated by predators. Sharks. Wolves. Bears. So this unsung beasty should be one of those critters that gathers fascination while at the same time being called gross. Kids will likely be sucked in by the pictures. The text is simple enough for lower grades to read on their own.

Notes on content: The eating of another snail is shown, but is not graphic or gory.

[Cammym · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating non-fiction book about the wolfsnail, a carnivorous snail that has lip extensions it uses to detect other snails and slugs to prey upon. The book explains how the wolfsnail uses its long, toothy tongue called a radula to reach into snails' shells and eat its meal. In the back of the book are more detailed facts about the wolfsnail and a glossary. The photographs are colorful and illustrate the text very well.

Beginning reader, non-fiction, animals, snails. Geisel Honor Book.

[Robert Beveridge]

Sarah C. Campbell, Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator (Boyds Mills Press, 2008)

A book that manages to be just-the-facts-ma'am in tone and yet still somewhat anthropomorphic, Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator proved to be a little too advanced for the bean (currently at seventeen months), but not too far out. The page-sized photographs are lovely, if nothing special, and the text should be perfect for kids who love watching nature docos on the National Geographic channel; this is the same, just on a mirco scale. ***

[Melissa Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story in this book could be taking place right now in almost any backyard in the U.S., but it was Sarah C. Campbell (and her husband) who noticed it, painstakingly documented it, and then coupled it with clear, simpel text that is perfect for young readers. Many nature books for thsi age level are illustrated with paintings, so thsi book's clear, vivid photos are a refreshing contrast. They make the snail's everyday adventures seem more real, more tangible, more authentic to kids.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the Wolfsnail, also known as the cannibal snail because it eats other snails and slugs. The story is interesting and the big, bright photographs show the snail up close and in detail. Facts about the Wolfsnail are included, with some information about how the snail was introduced into Hawaii and other Asia-Pacific and Caribbean islands in a failed attempt to control other leaf-eating snails. We really enjoyed this story and we've read this one a couple of times.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

2009 Geisel Honor award
I can see how this book was awarded a Geisel. It is fascinating, the text and vocabulary are extremely accessible for young readers to listen to and the photography used in this book is amazing. But ewwwwwwww!!!! Had my hand over my mouth as I read this one. That being said, I wish there were more books like this (maybe not as much on the disgusting side) available for young readers.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun nonfiction read aloud. For a younger audience I clipped together the violent end to the small snail. For elementary aged kids, I think they enjoy it. Either way, there are a lot of actions to do along with the wolfsnail, which is an incredibly fascinating creature. The photographs are great as well, but are more suited to a smaller, closer group. The actions make it work for a bigger, more spread out crowd.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I didn't know that some snails are carnivorous-- and that they eat their fellow snails and slugs! The simple text and beautiful close-up photographs won this book honorable mention for the Theodore Seuss Geisel Award last year. If I ever find myself down in the southern states, I've got to look for one of these things. Most interesting!

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully photographed book is both interesting and informative. As a bonus, there are photos of this carnivorous snail actually eating other snails- sure to please the bloodthirsty pre-school crowd. Clear, easy-to-read (or read aloud) text, and again- the photos are excellent. Highly recommended for kids of a naturalistic bent.

[Kimberly Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy-read, non-fiction book teaches us all about the Wolfsnail, which I have never heard of. Being a gardener I have always loathed snails, but this snail is actually a predator to other slugs and snails. The most remarkle thing about this book is that amazing photographs detailing the day in the life of the wolfsnail.

[Mrs. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear simple text with photography brings the life of a wolfsnail to life. This non-fiction book will interest young readers as well as older elementary students. The quick facts at the end of the book as well as glossary add to the value of the book for research reporting. Geisel 2009 Honor book

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder! Meyhem, cannibal snails whoever heard of such a thing? The Wolfsnail eats plant eating snails and slugs, so it might be a good thing for your hostas. However they were introduced to Hawaii, in the 1950's to eat an African snail, but ended up eating all the native Hawaiian snails instead. Sometimes our good ideas aren't so good

[Anthony Kline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was actually interested by this book. I was not sure if a snail actually ate meat. This book had great pictures that went along with the story as well. I really enjoy the detail that this book goes into to describe the tasks of the wolf snail. I recommend this book to many for their children.