SNAILS

Like the same team's Crabs (KR, 1974) this packs lots of detail into a pared down text and informal drawings, beginning with curious facts (about flesh-eating and poisonous species, or in a comparative graph, snail's paces) and moving on to more specialized physiological information. In this case, much of the later material may prove bewildering; perhaps because mails seem so amorphous to begin with, the comparative sketches of opercula, balance organs, sexual differences, and foot shapes can be hard to interpret. At least the easiest material comes first, and while some youngsters may be frustrated later on, this will appeal to those who shy away from wordy explanations but don't mind puzzling over pictures.