In recent years, those working on terrestrial molluscs have expehenced an increasingly frustrating time in the task of identification. Although some species are relatively easy to identify, others can be extremely difficult to separate. It's a problem that has arisen thanks to the arrival and spread of non-native species as well as the realisation that some established species may have been incorrectly named or are actually a group of closely inter-related species, typically requiring specialist Identification techniques to resolve.

This richly illustrated full-colour AIDGAP guide provides comprehensive, picture-based identification charts and species accounts for 46 slug and semi-slug species now known from Britain or Ireland. It includes advice on recognising the pest species and their control in gardens. The clunky rhyming in this book will keep it out of my story times. There is so much rhyme for rhyme's sake - Doug, hug, slug, snug, bug - and yet the author also rhymes all of these words with "love." It feels sloppy and uncomfortable to read aloud.Bobby Talbot, 18, and Donna Moss, 17, are having sex in Donna's parents' bedroom while they are out. Slugs make their way through the garden, into the drain, up the drain pipe, along the guttering, down onto a window sill and drop onto the floor of the bedroom. Donna is killed first as the slugs crawl inside her. Bobby, also being eaten alive jumps from the bedroom window straight onto a cold frame below and is killed by a shard of glass. Brady and Palmer test their radios, then begin searching the central chambers of the sewers for the slugs' nest. Foley follows them in above his car. They find the slugs, but become trapped when they cannot remove a grille from a chamber. Brady eventually removes the grille but Palmer is eaten by the slugs in the meantime. Foley drives to the manhole cover where Brady can escape but the cover is jammed shut. Using a rope tied to his car he manages to remove the manhole cover, just before Brady's oxygen supply runs out. Both men tip the 5 gallon drum of poison down into the sewer which sets off a chain reaction sweeping through the entire Merton sewer system. Thankfully, in 2014 the publication of a new slug guide should help to resolve many of these issues. This completely new FSC AIDGAP publication, which is the subject of this review, should greatly assist with British and Irish slug identification, at last putting slug biology on a much more certain footing and acting as a 'driver' to encourage further studies of this aspect of our dynamic fauna.

Light up your mug with “Slug in Love,” a fetching new book in rhyme sure to grant all a fun time. Kids will sprout grins reading this story, its narrative complimented by Nadia Shireen’s colorful, uncluttered illustrations.

Field guides used to be just that– a set of illustrations and keys that enabled accurate identification of a particular group of animals or plants. Recently they have included so much more and this excellent guide is a good example of this inclusive approach. It doesn't neglect the identification task, for there are really clear and full sets of photographs of every species of slug found in Britain and Ireland, showing different aspects, including the underside of the foot, the slugs in their curled shapes, all with annotations and a guide to the colours that the slugs can adopt. There is also a very full, useful and user-friendly multivariate identification section, which is very helpful indeed [...] Overall this could genuinely claim to be a complete text on the biology and ecology of slugs. It can be highly recommended."

Rachel is a writer of words, drawer of pictures and champion of silver linings. She exhibits widely, writes tirelessly and frequently creates slightly unhinged characters. This new book represents a quantum leap forward for slug biology, and its appearance should revolutionise work on these fascinating animals. It can really get the 'slug world' moving, and for those already engaged in study it should provide the means to approach identification with a new confidence. Certain aspects of slug identification will never be easy, but the book provides assistance and encouragement to make the task less daunting and even relatively straightforward. By revealing the fascinating diversity it will surely encourage many newcomers to look at slugs in a new light. The guide is also a keystone work that can assist in the study of distributional changes that relate to the spread of invasive species, as well as revealing more about the true range of our established slug fauna. The pairing of Rachel Bright and Nadia Shireen is a match made in heaven: both are talented picturebook authors who have created some of the best books for the younger reader.. In this particular little gem, Rachel Bright adopts the mantel of the wordsmith, while Nadia Shireen presents the complimentary images which, as usual, are worthy of much more than a passing glance. I admit, I was looking a bit funnily when I saw the title of the book. Slugs in love? Slugs aren’t really my favourite creatures, and one in love sounds weird. But I still couldn’t resist, and I do love reading some very random books so requesting it was. And here I am. Reading it.Harold Morris, keen gardener, puts on a garden glove that has slugs in some of the fingers. They eat most of his hand by the time Harold, assisted by his wife Jean manage to cut it off with shears and a trowel. As a teacher, parent, and lover of children's literature, I am thrilled to recommend Slug in Love by Rachel Bright. This adorable picture book is a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and self-acceptance that will captivate young readers. Farmer George Thomas from Merton, drives to London's Covent Garden to deliver some vegetables to a buyer. The buyer searches through the vegetables, throwing the rotten ones into a pile. In amongst some rotten lettuces are some slugs' eggs... As a teacher, I appreciate how Slug in Love can be used to spark discussions about emotions, friendship, and self-acceptance in the classroom. The story provides opportunities to teach children about empathy, diversity, and the importance of expressing emotions in a healthy and authentic way. These themes are conveyed in a gentle and accessible manner, making it a valuable tool for social-emotional learning. Brady goes to a garden centre and buys a bottle of slug poison and some slug pellets. He puts them down in his garden.