BACKYARD INSECTS

by Millicent E. & Ronald Goor Selsam ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 15, 1982

Did you know that there may be more than a thousand different kinds of insects in your own backyard?"" begins this conversational review, focusing on features of defense, of about 30 of them. Some insects are ""hidden,"" like the several camouflage artists pictured in the color photos; the function of the camouflage is suggested in the introductory question, ""Can a hungry bird find them easily?"" Others, on the contrary, have ""warning"" colors that give off such messages as ""I sting."" Then there are ""copycat insects"" that mimic those that sting or poison, and ""scary insects"" marked with spots that resemble predators' large eyes. In summary, the authors explain that these features don't always save the insects, but do make them more likely to survive. All of this is familiar at this level--from Cole and Wexler's excellent Hidden Insects (1979), for one example--but this easy once-over is pleasantly approachable.

Pub Date: March 15, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Four Winds

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION