WHOA NILLY

Fletcher combines information about dragonfly nymphs with a coming-of-age adventure in this picture book.

Newly hatched nymph Nilly wriggles onto a nearby leaf, which is instantly swept away to a nearby creek, far from her siblings. She notices other organisms growing and developing around her and quickly adapts to her new surroundings, hunting by extending her lip and grabbing prey. She also periodically sheds her skin as she grows. Nilly soon discerns the importance of her dull coloring, which hides her from predators, as well as her gills, which help her to flee from danger. One day, she desires to climb out of the water at last. The fictional portion of this book will particularly resonate with youngsters, who, like Nilly, are continually absorbing new information. Alternating pages include succinct facts (such as “Like all insects, nymphs have no bones”), which enrich the tale and may spur kids to undertake further research on their own. The juxtaposition of earth-toned illustrations and highly detailed photographs is also effective. Overall, both the facts and fiction are well organized and easy to understand, and the extensive backmatter offers questions, additional detail about dragonfly nymphs, and sources for further reading.

A solid introduction for aspiring scientific explorers.