Jean Craighead George
The Tarantula in My Purse: And 172 Other Wild Pets
Stealth Science
Why this book counts
- Life Science
- Environment & Ecology
- Biography / Memoir
- Story / Adventure
- Nature Narrative / Field Discovery
The Tarantula in My Purse gathers Jean Craighead George's family memories of living alongside owls, ducklings, crows, salamanders, a raccoon, a skunk, a tarantula, and many other wild animals. The comic domestic disruptions reveal species-specific behavior through a naturalist's firsthand stories rather than a conventional zoology survey.
The science inside
- Animals & Zoology
- Ecosystems
Your child will meet:
- Different wild species have different diets, activity patterns, social behavior, and habitat needs.
- An animal's behavior inside a house may reflect needs that the human environment does not meet.
- Repeated close observation can help a naturalist recognize an individual's behavior without making that animal domesticated.
- Modern wildlife care belongs with licensed rehabilitators and does not make wild animals suitable household pets.
Use it this way
Parent effort: Quick discussion
Jean Craighead George raised her three children alongside crows, owls, skunks, raccoons and a tarantula. These are the true stories, told by the author of My Side of the Mountain, and they are funny in the way only a house full of animals can be.
How to use it: read it aloud to a child who wants every animal they meet. It is nature study, it is family memoir, and it quietly makes the case that paying close attention to an animal is its own kind of science.
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Price:
Shipping calculated at checkout.Regular price $9.99
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