What the Snakes Wrote by Hazel Hutchins-OPTIONAL

Hutchins, Hazel What the Snakes Wrote.  Illustrated by Tina Holdcroft. 32  pgs. Annick Press, 2013. $9.95. PICTURE BOOK.  Everything in the farmyard is going well.  The pigs are wallowing.  The cows are content. The horse is happy.  But Rufus the dog notices that there are more snakes than usual, and they are twisting themselves in unusual ways.  The farmer has located a hole in the corner of his land.  Concerned, the farmer begins preparations to fill the mysterious hole.  The snakes write messages such as, “Please help snakes in trouble,” and “Save our home.”  It is soon realized that the mysterious hole in farmer’s yard is simply the snake’s winter home.  Farmer then comes up with a perfect solution that will keep people and animals safe from the hole, while snakes can come and go as they please.  This book can be used in a unit about snakes and  is a reminder to respect animals and their habitats.  There is an additional section at the end of the book with interesting facts about snakes and where they live and what they eat.  Pre-K.  EL (K-3).   OPTIONAL Reviewer: SL