This intriguing sampling of insects has several things going for it: crisp, bright illustrations rendered in accurate detail that makes spotting the specimens pointed out in the text especially satisfying; an easy conversational style describing some of their most interesting, or visible, characteristics; additional facts that make species memorable and pique continuing interest. Ladybugs, monarch butterflies, dragonflies, aphids, and more are featured, with occasional strays wandering from spread to spread. Oddly, there's no definition of ``insect,'' and the page that challenges readers to sort yellow jackets from bees offers too few clues for differentiating between them. The 13 species are shown in silhouette on the last page--captioned, to scale, and with size variations noted. An attractive and effective introduction to insect identification. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-8)
