Aspiring entomologists, paleontologists, and artists won’t want to miss this one.
An information-packed survey of creepy-crawlies and how they came to flourish.
Almost every ecosystem on Earth needs bugs: for cleanup, for pollination, and as essential parts of the food chain. But what is a bug? And why are there so many (more than 10 quintillion) of them? This beautiful book delves into the classification of arthropods—which include insects, spiders, and scorpions—and travels far into prehistory to answer those questions and show how these creatures have evolved. “Toolbox” sidebars consider anatomy and behavior, including legs, eyes, wings, communication, and camouflage. Full pages are devoted to examples of significant scientific orders, past and present, such as Palaeodictyoptera, an order that included winged insects that died out toward the end of the Permian period. Forster uses proper scientific nomenclature; explanations of exoskeletons, for instance, are clear and complete. Exclamation marks are numerous but justified, given the inclusion of such fascinating details: Scorpions’ “exoskeletons glow under UV light!” “Dragonflies can…even do instinctive math!” A bug “Hall of Fame” recognizes extremes, such as the goliath spider, which weighs nearly a quarter-pound. The author acknowledges that scientists still don’t know everything about insects—research opportunities await burgeoning scientists. Final pages of text describe ways to catch, house, handle, and help bugs. Gordy’s masterly gouache illustrations make every page—even those depicting the creepiest of creatures—a pleasure; his images and many timelines are both informative and gorgeous.
Aspiring entomologists, paleontologists, and artists won’t want to miss this one. (bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781419761133
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere.
This book is buzzing with trivia.
Follow a swarm of bees as they leave a beekeeper’s apiary in search of a new home. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees. The information is scattered—much like the scout bees—and as a result, both the nominal plot and informational content are tissue-thin. There are some interesting facts throughout the book, but many pieces of trivia are too, well trivial, to prove useful. For example, as the bees travel, readers learn that “onion flowers are round and fluffy” and “fennel is a plant that is used in cooking.” Other facts are oversimplified and as a result are not accurate. For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. The information in the book, such as species identification and measurement units, is directed toward British readers. The flat, thin-lined artwork does little to enhance the story, but an “I spy” game challenging readers to find a specific bee throughout is amusing.
Friends of these pollinators will be best served elsewhere. (Informational picture book. 8-10)Pub Date: May 18, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-500-65265-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Pretty but insubstantial.
Zommer surveys various bird species from around the world in this oversized (almost 14 inches tall tall) volume.
While exuberantly presented, the information is not uniformly expressed from bird to bird, which in the best cases will lead readers to seek out additional information and in the worst cases will lead to frustration. For example, on spreads that feature multiple species, the birds are not labeled. This happens again later when the author presents facts about eggs: Readers learn about camouflaged eggs, but the specific eggs are not identified, making further study extremely difficult. Other facts are misleading: A spread on “city birds” informs readers that “peregrine falcons nest on skyscrapers in New York City”—but they also nest in other large cities. In a sexist note, a peahen is identified as “unlucky” because she “has drab brown feathers” instead of flashy ones like the peacock’s. Illustrations are colorful and mostly identifiable but stylized; Zommer depicts his birds with both eyes visible at all times, even when the bird is in profile. The primary audience for the book appears to be British, as some spreads focus on European birds over their North American counterparts, such as the mute swan versus the trumpeter swan and the European robin versus the American robin. The backmatter, a seven-word glossary and an index, doesn’t provide readers with much support.
Pretty but insubstantial. (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: June 4, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-500-65151-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Review Posted Online: April 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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