Wild Summer Week Ten: Snakes
Miss Rattlesnake slithers by with some fun facts about snakes!
Welcome to Week Ten of our Summer Challenge, a free reading challenge all about pairing books with summer fun! This is the last week of the challenge, during which we have been sharing book recommendations, discussion starters, activity ideas, and more. The fun officially ends on August 11, but if you’re new here, it’s not too late! You can join in anytime—click here to see a round-up of the fun so far. Plus, we’re doing a giveaway at the end of the summer. Sign up today to be eligible to win, and come back next week for all the details about the giveaway! Hint: We’ll be giving away books to two different winners.
This week’s special guest is one of my personal favorites, a snake! Snakes tend to get a bad rap, even in children’s books. But, as scary and creepy as they are, they are an important part of the natural world and they make some pretty great book characters! So, I hope you’ll enjoy hearing from our guest today, Miss Rattlesnake!
Thanks for welcoming me, Rebecca! I’m happy to be here to share some fascinating facts about snakes!
Did you know that there are over 3000 species of snakes? Snakes live on every continent except Antarctica. Yesss, we really get around. There are no snakes in Ireland, Greenland, Iceland, or New Zealand, though!
Snakes look pretty scary, and for good reason! We have sharp fangs, long slithering bodies, and pretty intense stares thanks to our lack of eyelids! But only about 600 of my snake relatives are venomous, including me. I’m a prairie rattlesnake. We rattlesnakes are famous for the rattle on the ends of our tails, which we may or may not shake as a way to warn you to stay away. It’s best to keep your distance if you spot me or one of my snake relatives in the wild. After all, to us, humans are pretty scary too! And we’d really rather not be put into a position where we feel like we have to defend ourselves.
Self-defense isn’t the only reason we bite, though. Snakes are carnivores, and we usually swallow our prey whole, so some snakes, like me, use venom to make it easier to swallow our dinner. I know….grossss, right?
Rattlesnakes may seem pretty scary, but we’ve got to watch out for hunters too, and not just human ones. Red tail hawks and eagles like to gobble us up as snacks!
If you’d like to know more about snakes in general, here’s a great article from National Geographic. You can learn more about me, the prairie rattlesnake, in this article from the National Park Service.
Another great way to learn about snakes, or just to enjoy good stories about snakes, is to read books! The folkssss here at Read, Discuss, Do have put together a great list to get your started. Check them out!
Read: Books featuring snakes
Duckworth the Difficult Child by Michael Sussman, illustrated by Júlia Sarda. This darkly humorous book tells the story of a little boy who gets swallowed whole by a snake, and when he tries to tell his parents, they think his is being “difficult” for refusing to take the snake costume off.
Snakes on the Job by Kathryn Dennis. This bright and colorful concept book about construction is sure to delight young readers as they read the story and try to figure out what the snakes are building.
One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel. A delightful read-aloud about a little boy who outsmarts a snake!
Predator and Prey: A Conversation in Verse by Susannah Buhrman-Deever, illustrated by Bert Kitchen. This beautiful book of poetry features imagined conversations between predators and prey in the wild–including two different kinds of snakes. Each spread includes sidebars with more information about the featured animals.
I (Don’t) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Luciano Lozano. A blend of fiction and nonfiction, this book is the story of a girl in a family with a lot of pet snakes who confesses that she doen’t like snakes. Each member of her family in turn shares some fascinating facts about snakes in order to change her mind.
Verdi by Janell Cannon. A lovely story about a young snake who is reluctant to grow up, but who eventually realizes that even growing up won’t stop him from being himself.
My Weird School: Class Pet Mess by Dan Gutman, illustrated by Jum Paillot. This “I Can Read!” book is a funny story about what happens when a class gets a new pet snake.
Slither, Snake! National Geographic Kids by Shelby Alinsky. A fun fact book where kids are introduced to different kinds of snakes, where they live, and how they behave. A vocabulary tree and wrap-up activities keep kids engaged.
Chapter Book
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse: A New Friend by Poppy Green, illustrated byJennifer A. Bell. Part of a chapter book series, this book is a sweet story about making new friends and not judging someone before you get to know them.
Middle Grade
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt. This is the story of a couple of raccoon scouts and a 12-year old boy who are unknowingly working toward the same goal–saving their beloved Sugar Man swamp. It’s a lyrical book that weaves together several seemingly unrelated stories and brings them all together in a meaningful and magical way. It’s a delight to read, even the parts about the snakes!
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling This classic story of Mowgli, the man cub adopted by wolves, spins a tale of life in the jungle where a boy must beware the tiger that killed his parents. Jungle animals come to life in this story of friendship and survival, including a snake who also poses a threat. The book is a bit harsher than the animated movie, but the movie is a great option for all ages! Since this book was written in 1920, it’s available to read online here.
Note: Some links will take you to the Read, Discuss, Do bookshop.org storefront. Purchasing a book from the storefront will support independent bookstores and help maintain Read, Discuss, Do at no additional cost to you.
Discuss
What is the most fascinating thing about snakes?
Have you ever seen a snake in the wild?
Do you or someone you know have a pet snake?
Have you ever touched a snake? If so, what did it feel like?
How many types of snakes can you name?
What kinds of snakes, if any, are natural to your part of the world?
Do you have a favorite snake book?
Do: Try one of these snake-inspired activities
Go for a swim! Snakes can swim, and often do so right on the water’s surface. Can you do that?
Make a snake sock puppet. Here’s a video tutorial you can use if you need directions. Use the puppet to act out a favorite snake story!
Visit some snakes at a zoo. If you don’t have a zoo near you, watch a nature show featuring snakes.
Have fun talking like a snake by making all the “S” sounds in words longer, like thisssss.
Have a snakey snack time by making snake shapes out of sliced up fruit or cheese and crackers.
Make snakes out of play dough.
Listen to some snake tunes.
Sneaky Snake by Tom T. Hall
The “S” Song - Super Simple Songs
Let’s Go to the Zoo - Super Simple Songs (features several animals, including snakes)
Download this week’s coloring page!
We hope you have been enjoying Wild Summer! If you share about your experiences with the Summer Challenge on social media, use the hashtag #RDDSummerChallenge2025 so we can see it. You can also tag us or message us on Instagram, leave a comment on this post, or reply to this email.
Reminder: This is our last Wild Summer post! Be sure to sign up to be eligible for the giveaway which we will officially announce next week. Also, be sure to fill out the Wild Summer Bingo for extra entries!