A selection of brief outdoor adventures in an appealing nature title. In her first book, Busch's descriptions are vivid: ``Each time the [gold] beetle changes, it resembles a different jewel. On the leaf it looks like a piece of molten gold. Once it is in the bottle, the gold disappears and it becomes bright opal. Then it changes to a milky white jewel of mother-of-pearl.'' While some of the investigations require a rural setting, many of the adventures will please urban observers, too. But not every activity seems safe and not all come with safety precautions, e.g., those who create their own igloos may risk suffocation. The capable black-and-white illustrations range from realistic renderings of plants and animals to atmospheric scenes of exploration. (further reading, index) (Nonfiction 8-12)
