Rattlesnakes do not lay eggs but give birth to live young. This fact surprised adults and children alike at a reading from a local children’s author Thursday.

Conrad Storad, an ASU faculty member and author of more than 30 science and nature books for children, read his latest book, “Rattlesnake Rules” at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe in front of a mixed audience of young readers, parents, grandparents and adults.

Storad said writing this book provided him with the “opportunity to do some teaching and myth-busting about rattlesnakes because they are feared creatures and misunderstood creatures.”

He performed an animated reading of the book and used a projector to show the drawings from his book on a large screen as he read aloud.

Children and adults listened, laughed and learned about how rattlesnakes follow rules like humans.

In the book, the mother rattlesnake teaches her young the different rules they must follow in order to survive.

Storad calls his books “fun nonfiction” — not quite nonfiction and not quite fiction, he said.

“They are in between because I am using storytelling techniques to get the information across,” he said.

The mother rattlesnake shares with her offspring the rules for hunting, eating, warning and humans.

Storad, in his snake T-shirt, engaged and interacted with the audience.

“Open your mouth as wide as you can boys and girls,” he said when he reached the part of the story that explained the rules for eating.

The children opened their mouths and appeared surprised when Storad told them that rattlesnakes have the ability to open their mouths wider than humans.

Nicholas Robertson, a fifth-grader, said he has read almost all of Storad’s books and liked the reading.

“I like the myth-breaking parts [of the story],” he said.

After the reading, Storad answered questions with the help of a giant diamondback rattlesnake puppet named Mama Snake.

One child asked if a snake could bite its own tongue and a 3-year-old boy wanted to know if rattlesnakes change their clothes.

Storad said the children asked some good things, and their questions let him know that he has succeeded in teaching them something.

“The learning has begun when they start to ask the questions that they do,” he said. “Now what I hope will happen is they will take another look at the book and spend some time … with all the material [and facts] I have in the back.”

Amy Bennett, a stay-at-home mom, brought her 8-year-old son to the reading.

“We love Conrad,” Bennett said. “We have all of his books.”

She said they enjoy Storad’s readings and attend them every time he releases a new book.

Storad signed books after the reading.

Nancy “Nana” Heeren, a retired elementary teacher and grandmother, purchased four of Storad’s books — two for her nephews, one for her great granddaughter and one for herself.

“I collect all of his books,” Heeren said. “I have them all autographed.”

She said she had Storad come read to her elementary students the last year she was teaching.

Storad said he has talked with more than 800,000 children and adults in the past 14 years and visited more than 830 schools in nine states.

“My goal is to read to 1 million kids,” he said. “I am getting there.”

“Rattlesnake Rules” is sold in bookstores everywhere and can be purchased online.

Reach the reporter atlpalmisa@asu.edu.