Spider Books

Hermie is just a plain, green caterpillar. Common. He sees others special gifts but can't see his own. He prays to God every night with his friend Wormie, "Why did You make us so common?" God's loving reply would always be the same, "Don't worry. I love you both just the way you are, but I'm not finished with you yet." This is yet another great children's story by one of the best Christian authors around, Max Lucado. My daughter and I love all his books. This story reminds us that with prayer and patience, great things will happen in our lives. All we have to do is wait. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 40, it says, "But those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." Thank goodness, God isn't finished with us yet! I praise Him for what He has done and all that He is going to do! We can keep growing and getting better and better. o8E
Soar!

The simple wording combined with the great illustration make this a book that attracts children from those able to read themselves to those who are only able to identify the pictures. The message is clearly stated. At this point in time, with all the gloom and doom on the news channels, a positive reinforcement that God is there and in control is needed. Any of Max's childrens book will help. (Parents can take heat from the messages as well.

I have 4 children, ages 2-7, and they all loved this book! The little ones enjoyed the uplifting story of the "common caterpillar", and my 7 year olds found it easy and fun to read. You can't go wrong with this one!!!! A must for all Christian families!

This book is a great way to get a very important message to your children..without boring them. God's not finished with us yet! He began a good work in us and He will finish it!
I love this book, it even spoke to me, and My 5 yr old loved it so much we went out and bought the DVD. Lucado is so articulate in his "adult" books but he does the same with his children books, they are all wonderful and have a timeless message for our future generation, and for us as well! Now hurry up and add it to your cart! Trust me, the price can't be beat for such a great story.

From the moment my son heard this book read to him, he was hooked. He liked the book so much that we bought the video as well. Now he walks around telling us that God isn't finished with him yet. This is a great book for any family trying to get across that God loves everyone just they way they are and he's always working in our lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!

This is one of my toddler's favorite books. She loves moving the honeybee through the slots in the pages to discover what is on the next page. It helps with dexterity and hand-eye coordination. We will buy more of these books.

Great book. My son always wants to read one of this authors books first. It allows my son to be a part of the story as well as hearing it. I

This book was one of my daughter's all time favorites. She got it when she was three. She is ten now and has informed me that I need to put it away with her other baby treasures for safe keeping. We literally spent hours looking for all of the little critters on each page. She would never let me be the one who slipped the honey bee from page to page. We potty trained her with his book. No kidding.

This book is great fun for my 1 1/2 year old. She loves to maneuver the honeybee through the pages. It is an innovative concept, and it works well. The only problem is that where the honeybee is pushed through the page, the page rips pretty easily. But the honeybee has stood up well.

This was given to us as a birthday present for my then one-year-old boy. Immediately his brother, 4, commandeered it for himself and spent quite a bit of time that afternoon pushing the cardboard honeybee on her path and through the pages to the other sides to continue. Seeing me do this once was all it took to fascinate them both.

The honeybee, which is stored in a plastic pocket on the cover, starts on page one to follow a path of words that curves and turns across the spread to disappear behind a cleverly disguised cut into the next page. The flowers and objects are identified specifically, like "Iris" and "Cornflower", so kids do learn a little uncommon info for their age. I think that when they try to take over moving the bee for themselves (which is inevitable), they also learn good hand eye coordination skills. Best of all, the words are like a magic path that has direction, pacing and meaning. Clever!

I'm a big fan of children's picture books that are interactive because they work! Kids' attention will be riveted, they love to play with the book even when you're not reading to them, and they develop an understanding and appreciation of books. I remember cherishing Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar book myself at that age because it was just so cool. It made learning easy and fun. This book has a similar appeal, and I would recommend it to anybody whose children respond to that sort of thing.
-Andrea, aka Merribelle

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for Reader Views (1/07)

Bonnie Bee is out playing and collecting honey when she meets Benny Butterfly. He tells her about his life as a caterpillar and a chrysalis. He explains that the process is called a metamorphosis. Bonnie and Benny become friends, dancing together, telling stories, playing games and having fun. They are best friends in everyway. But one day they played outside too long. The Queen Bee was very unhappy with Bonnie. Bees and butterflies were not allowed to be friends and play together.

Benny waited for his friend. He talked to Rolf Rattlesnake and Uqualla Quail. They advised him to be patient. When the two are reunited they promise to belong to each other for all time. The loving couple are joined in marriage. One day they two Butterbees were born. Uqualla loved them very much and shared her great wisdom with the two little ones. When the Queen considered Uqualla's words she forgave Uqualla for staying out to late. Bizzy and Buzzy Butterbees love to play "Hive `n Seek." "Finding `Bee Ways' that we can name. Bee helpful and wise, bee loving and true. Bee happy, be kind, and just bee you!"

Lana Grimm and Tania Bloch have created enchanting characters in their book "How Butterbees Came to Bee!" While this is a children's book, it has a message for all of forgiveness, understanding and acceptance of other people for their differences. David Michener's illustrations are outstanding. The story encourages each individual to be all they can be. "Whatever happens to you and me, Help us to bee the best we can bee." I am eager share this one with my grandchildren. I highly recommend this book to all children. They will love it!

I highly recommend this book. My 2 children really enjoy this book. My son, who is 4, loves to buzz hum, buzz hum, buzz hum hum hum along with the story! Very cute & colorful illustrations along with a good message to bee yourself.

Beautiful and inspiring story. Fantastic illustrations. Postive messages for children (and adults) about being all they can be and celebrating differences in other cultures. My kids want to hear the "Buzzz Hummm" book every night. They love it and so do I. We also bought Bizzy and Buzzy, the charming and comforting plush toy version of the book's Butterbees and the kids fall asleep with them in their arms. Altogether a marvelous learning and entertaining experience for us all.

This book tells the story of how the Butterbees, offspring of the union of a bee and a butterfly, came to be. The charming tale weaves together important messages about understanding, forgiveness, and love and could stand on its own without illustration. But the illustrations are wonderful, full of life and color. I gave this book to one of my best friends as part of a baby shower gift. She also has two boys, age 2 and 5, to whom she read the book. She called to tell me the boys loved it.

In Huckelbug the Mayor gets Barry in trouble, because he had to work! One day, in the present Barry runs away to get out of trouble. Barry packs his sneakers, cold water, shirts, and food. Barry didn't have a good time at the amazing place he found. Will Barry go back, or will he stay at the place and not work? This book is for every age. If you ever get a chance to buy this book buy it!!!

This is a wonderful and underated book from the Serendepity series. The older I get, the more I like these books. My son loves them. I don't think your child's book collection can be complete without this.

All the Serendipity books are great! I fully recommend them to parents across the nation!

I bought this one because I wanted my own copy as a teacher.
But it does not match the original from the library. That made it a little difficult to use. I work with 2nd graders and the new copy had higher vocabulary and more complex sentences.

Still a very good storyline and message.

If you're having trouble disciplining your child to do chores, this book may have an answer for you. Hucklebug is a young bug who runs away from home to escape his chores, but he soon learns that he's getting more than he bargained for. Enchanting, colorful, and full of smiles.

My daughter brought this home from school.

It's a cute little story about an inch worm who gets out of being eaten by offering to measure stuff for the birds. He measures tails, a bill, a neck, legs, and even a hummingbird.

It works until a nightingale asks to have his song measured. What to do?

The art work is good and my daughter did look it over.

At first she was so-so to the story as she didn't understand how the inchworm measured. I showed her with my finger and she laughed.

Others have suggested this might be a tool to introduce the concept of measurement. I can see that but my daughter already had an idea from the age old method of marking her growth height on the wall.

One of my favorite 5 bookes was Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni. The reason is, is that the worm in the story is very clever and thinks his way out of a sticky situation. That is what I like about authors like Leo Lionni. They can always come up with a great little story that influences so many children in such a positive way.

A children's book about an inch worm who loves to measure things and then saves himself by measuring. The book was the 1961 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., the runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustration in a book for children.

Once upon a time there was a cute, little, green inch worm hanging out on a piece of grass. One day, a robin came up to eat him, but the inch worm talked the robin into letting him measure the robin's tail. Being such a useful worm, the robin did not eat him, but took him to other birds so that they could have something measured by the smart inch worm. Finally, a nightingale told the worm to measure his song or he would eat the little inch worm. Using his little worm brain, the inch worm began measuring the song until he had inched away to safety.
This wonderful book, written and illustrated by Leo Lionni, won the Caldecott Honor in 1961. He has taken a little worm and made the reader fall in love with it through the worm's usefulness in measuring and his cunning ability to escape the hungry nightingale. Even though there are many different scenes, with many various shades of green on them, Lionni has illustrated the little worm in such a way that the reader can always point him out. Children would enjoy finding the worm on each page, especially at the end of the book when he is hiding from the nightingale. Also, we always see the story from an outside perspective; eye level with the grass. It is as if we are another small animal looking in on the story.
The background of each page is pretty much the same. All Lionni has illustrated on each page is the worm and the other details that are needed during that part of the story. For example, while the inch worm is measuring the legs of the heron, Lionni has only portrayed the heron with the worm inching down its leg. I think this technique is good for younger audiences because it helps children focus on the story and keeps their attention for more specific details. This also makes sense because there is a small portion of text to read on each page which means the audience does not have much time to look at the illustrations while the reader is reading to them. As for colors, Lionni has kept them realistic. For example, the flamingo is a bright pink whereas the nightingale's colors are calmer. Overall, the colors in the book make the readers feel at ease and calm. The dull greens of the grass and the open, white background keeps the reader moving along at a steady pace. It's almost as if we know that the inch worm is going to outsmart the different birds and there is no need to get over-excited.
Lionni has intertwined the illustrations and the text in a way that they are dependent on each other. Although you could get the gist of the story by either reading the text or looking at the pictures, by having the illustrations support the text, the reader gets a more detailed, visual story. However, Lionni leaves room for the imagination to add on to the story at any time.
Overall, I loved this book. Lionni has creatively illustrated this cute story, making children and adults want to read it over and over again.
If you are looking for instructional ideas, I would read this story to students in primary grades before doing a lesson on measuring. Then I would have students measure different things around the classroom including themselves. I would also use this book when talking about different types of art. I would have children do a collage or make something with decoupage. They could even re-create a scene from the book!

This Caldecott Honor Book is easy listening for the early child and the young child as a new schoolyear begins. An industrious inch worm is the main character. He engages himself with measuring a variety of birds and lastly outwits the hungry nightingale using his measuring savvy.

Teacher Note: This book can be used to introduce the young child to using standard measurement tools. It can also be used for activities with creative non-traditional measurement activities. For example: Paper clips, hands, feet, craft sticks, shoes, beans, etc. This book can be a springboard to a thematic unit on measurement. It can be extended for study of birds, other nature studies, art experiences, and musical activities as well.

This superb little 159-page guide includes 47 pages describing a bit about naturalists, the history of bugs, their different types, how to identify and distinguish them--and even a few pages on endangered bug species.

What follows are 101 gorgeous, illustrated pages describing the appearance, habits and environments of everything from flies and grasshoppers to katydids and aphids. Kids also learn about boll weevels, moths and butterflies, and common pests and parasites like mosquitoes and ticks.

The book also includes a two-page glossary, two page list of additional resources, and a four-page alphebetized index.

A great starter book for insect lovers of all ages, but especially kids.

As a hmoe schooling mom this has been an excellent tool for the kids. They can look up all the bugs they find at anytime the decide to go bug hunting. It is simple and easy to use. a wonderful resource.

This book (actually the whole series) is wonderful! I have a 4 year old who just loves to page through it and examine all the different kinds of insects. We use this one to identify all the different kinds of bugs that we run into on our walks. The photos alone are worth the purchase price, but the descriptions are also wonderful. I think these are the best field guides out there.

This is THE best field guide for kids. It has excellent photographs and covers many different types of insects, including some regional ones. It is not only appropriate for young children who can only enjoy the pictures, it is also a great book for older children, up to about 12 or so. Any child who has an interest on learning about insects, spiders included, will enjoy this book and its wonderful pictures.

I love this book. Filled with VIVID photographs, this guidebook is compact and durable and begins with a short introduction (a few pages) devoted to teaching about anthropods in general. We use this book all of the time, from identifiying bugs on neighborhood walks, excursions to area parks, or just in the backyard (and sometimes in the house). I can also credit this book for curing my son's phobia of insects. When we saw a bug he was scared of, we'd grab this book and identify it. Looking at the bug and identifying its parts and then being able to call it by name did wonders in alleving his fears! I do wish that this book had more information associated with each insect...such as what it eats and what eats it. But, as a beginner guidebook, this one is exceptional!

"On the shores of Bitty Bayou, along a bitsy bog, a lonely little lizard lived in a lumpy log." Over 400 of my primary library students were already hooked into the book by these words and the pictures in Izzy the Lizzy. What a delightful story with a twist as mercy is satisfied instead of animal instincts. I loved the ryhme and rhythm of this book, the lesson it taught and the pictures that are so appealing to the senses. My students did also. Many of them bought the Book after hearing and seeing it! We think you will too! Wonderful job by Renee Riva and Steve Bjorkman!

I read this book to my Kindergarten class and they all agreed Izzy is a hit! The story kept them very interested throughout and they really enjoyed the ending.

A touch of rhyme, a helping of humor, and a wee dash of scary combine in this whimsical story about sharing with others the compassion you desire for yourself. It's a story children will want to read again and again, with a message that will serve them for a lifetime.

This was one of the most clever stories I have read in Children's books in a LONG time! And the illustrations are adorable! My grand-daughter and I could not put this book down and it's one of her favorites, along with Ms. Riva's other book, "Guido's Gondola"! The writing is totally delightful, and I also loved the moral of the story and the teachings. A "must buy" for anyone's library, adult or child! And perfect for gifting to famiy or friends.... HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

A tale of terror (well, terror from a spider and a bee's perspective) in Izzy the Lizzy written by Renee Riva and illustrated by Steve Bjorkman will keep children turning page after exquisitely illustrated page to share in a desperate web of suspense. Will hunger and a captured dinner win out? or is there room for mercy and compassion from hungry stomachs? Anastasia the Spider and Jeb the Bee aren't so sure. With whimsical rhyme set to colorful pictures and captivating expressions, children will eagerly anticipate the answer each time the book is read.

This book is full of information on the most fascinating creatures. I love David Attenborough and am a huge fan of all of his work including his films. I think anyone that has a true passion for understanding nature will love this book.

a nice reading for both the casual reader and the invert enthusiast; fantastic pics too.

I love this book! The text is easy to read--great for kids--and the photos are extraordinary. I only wish there were more photos. Attenborough did a superb job introducing us into the fantastic world of insects. Bravo!

My sister in law bought this book for my wife; the two are ex-tom boys who loved snakes and bugs as kids-- still do. I am the opposite. But I quickly read this book cover to cover. It's enthralling, and includes marvelous photos. (Unlike many books with illustrations, the photos are on or opposite the page that's discussing the specific insect, a much-appreciated convenience) For folks interested in genetic evolutionary adaption, this book will be a fascinating read.

Life in the UndergrowthThey're there in their swarming multitudes. Millions upon millions of tiny creatures which we rarely observe and even more rarely consider. In large part we ignore them. Most are too small to be seen unaided and those large enough to be visible usually find ways to hide or deceive us. When we visibly encounter them, out come the folded newspapers or spray cans of insecticide. Such hasty judgements may be reconsidered when you've finished this glorious portrayal of insect life.

A TV documentary made into a book may seem "unscientific" to some. However, Attenborough's attention to detail and his prose skills give this volume real value. Lavishly illustrated, with many full-page photographs, the insect world is presented in grand scale. The subjects are presented in intimate detail, and range from miniscule to giant. Although a powerful leaper, the springtail is a minute insect. Photographed beside the head of a pin, it's easy to see why we fail to observe them readily. Yet, only a few pages away, an African snail covers the hand of the man holding it. A hoverfly, one of Nature's bizarre products, is caught frozen in flight. Its ability to hover and dart away is vividly described in Attenborough's text. Another photo portrays another master of aerodynamics, the dragonfly, which can use its wings independently. The image shows all four wings in a different position. It's the dragonfly's ancient ancestor that captures your attention. In his chapter on flying insects, the author displays an ancient fossil dragonfly wing. This ancient progenitor would have had a wingspan of 20 centimetres. Yet, it would been have been diminished by others of its kind reaching 73 centimetres on a body similar to one of today's seagulls in size.

Attenborough's skills as a communicator are well exhibited in this book. Drawing on a wealth of research, he's able to describe insect elements from structure to mating habits. Insects have highly complex body formations and internal organs that vary hugely from the rather consistent pattern of mammals like us. Lungs are uncommon, for example, and air is taken in to the body in a variety of ways. Passages in the legs or along the body may allow air to enter, but some insects "breathe" through the skin itself. Also unlike mammals, breeding may entail extended periods depending on both "social" and environmental conditions. Some spiders, when mating, take but minutes, particularly if the female is hungry. Others, where the male fears competition may last far longer as he remains in place to ensure it's his genes that are carried to the next generation.

Part of Attenborough's theme is the importance this panoply of life, from great to tiny, plays in our lives. With the immense amount of time and effort put in to make the photographs and observe these creatures in their native habitats, he and his teams have provided much new information about them. He delves into the rich evolutionary history of insects, reminding us that their heritage dates back to the beginning of life on land - nearly 400 million years ago. His work demonstrates that these animals, which we often consider "mindless", do possess an unexpected individuality. He's also candid about what remains to be learned. Some of the research called for may have serious implications for humanity. We thoughtlessly exterminate insects at our peril. With so much valuable information and a treasure of detailed images, this book is a worthwhile purchase for anybody, young or old. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This book was written for general audience appeal and is approachable by all backgrounds and ages. In the first 11 chapters, Evans introduces readers to detailed explanations of many insect species with wit, humor and anecdotal information. Detailed line drawings give one a good view of insects that would normally require magnification to be seen in detail. Evans points out that even those bugs that are microscopic in size have very sophisticated attributes and can manage their affairs with very efficient capabilities.

The sad confrontations of bugs and uninformed humans is well covered, but Evans, while demonstrating a profound knowledge and admiration for just about all bugs and life itself, takes, in my opinion, a rather unfair poke at Rachel Carson's famous book, "Silent Spring". He comes off sounding like those in the pesticide industry or those who relied on their funding of research grants who attempted to debunk Carson's important work as "alarmist" and over-done. As we now know, Carson's work was proven correct and alarming and set the stage for an invigorated environmental movement world-wide.

Evans points out that "They [insects] are not only marvelous creatures in their own right; they may also teach us something about population control and the proper use of the Earth's resources."-pg 47. And, "As the anthroposphere [human saturated world] continues to encroach upon the biosphere, the museums will more and more assume the role of guardians of the world's treasures."-pg 285.

So this seems somewhat contradictory to his comments on pesticide use, but in all fairness, he also sees the wanton and reckless misuse of pesticides as very harmful to life.

The last two chapters give a very studied view of the collision-course that humanity is on with Earth's life support systems and in the end, it might be proven that those "pesky" bugs are far superior to humans in managing survival on a fragile and "Little-Known Planet"- Evans' call to expedite our research of the many awesome, yet unstudied life-forms that inhabit this planet before we inadvertently eradicate them with our paved-over human world.

For understanding and empathy for the insect world and the vitally important services that insect's provide, this book and Joanne Elizabeth Lauck's book, "The Voice of the Infinite In The Small: Re-Visioning the Insect-Human Connection" is highly recommended.

I can find no other way to begin this review than to say that this book was amazing. A good read to be had by all. And when I say all I really mean it. Biology and non-biology alike will find something to gain from t his book. The author of this book, Howard Ensign Adams, has the ability to teach the non-biologist but the talent of enticing the biology undergraduate. His ability to merge these two extremes while keeping both groups content is amazing and in a lot of ways impossible yet he has managed to do it. Each chapter is another adventure in insect know-how with tidbits of information, interesting anecdotes, and, in many chapters, a general call for more research into the specific fields discussed.

This book is organized into thirteen amazingly interesting chapters. Each chapter touches on a particular subfield of the insect world with the exception of the first and last chapters. The first chapter discusses the author's reasons for writing the book as well as his personal sales pitch on the content of the book and its intentions. The reader must be aware that this book is not recently written but was published in 1966. This is made evident in the first chapter with his discussion of the space program and its future plans to put man on the moon. It's almost comical to read his discussion of this, a feat that seems like old news to anyone nowadays but to him is only a future possibility. It can be said, however, that the age of this book is not a handicap. Aside from the obvious limited technology present in his time, the science presented does not suffer. The observations and data that Evans presents and discusses are very sound in their scientific method and in their accuracy as far as I can tell from my limited exposure to the field.

The book is fairly easy to read and most biological terminology is explained. Pictures accompany most in-depth explanations and the captions are short and usually humorous in content. The book is both accessible to those of the non-science community in terms of its skill level and in terms of its lack of necessity for prior biology knowledge. The book is also effective in its intentions of making the reader aware of the world beneath our feet and within our homes. Interesting aspects of each topic are discussed in order to keep the attention of the reader and to provide enjoyment in what might be perceived by some to be a very boring topic.

There is an obvious bias present in the author's focus on insects and the beauty he finds within their appearances and habitats. However, he does make a point to provide a disclaimer in the introducing chapter in which he makes the reader aware of his past experiences and his current work in entomology, specifically wasps. Throughout the first chapter he emphasizes that although many might not find the field as interesting and as beautiful as he, it will benefit most to learn of the things he is about to put forth. He does ask for continued research in the field and attempts to downplay the importance of the space program by referring to society's need to explain the depths of the universe while forgetting what is not known about the world within our reach.

Each subject is explored to the furthest ability of the author. Where he is not knowledgeable he brings in outside data from other scientists in the field and uses anecdotal information to highlight the interesting aspects of entomological research. He also uses these instances to give evidence to his assertions by providing sound evidence of the research in the field of interest. For example, in his bedbug chapter, humorously titled "Bedbugs, Cone-nosed Bugs, and Other Cuddly Animals", Evans discusses the research of Sir Vincent Wigglesworth on the Rhodnius prolixus, Rhodnius bug for short. Evans also provides detailed drawings of Wigglesworth experiments and discusses their results in depth. This is the rule throughout his book when discussing anything scientific.

I would whole-heartedly recommend this book to anyone that can handle a bit of biological vocabulary and enjoys a good comedy. Howard Evans' style is witty yet informative. He puts forth the facts while adding incentive to read them. His prior work on wasps sneaks through every now and then and often he alludes to past selections or future topics that he has yet to delight you with. Overall his organization is clear and eloquent with each topic building on knowledge from the last. It is also noted on the cover that the author is also the writer of another entomological book called "Wasp Farm". I can say for myself that I have already made plans to stop by the library at some point this week to pick up this book to continue reading what I hope to be another great work by this amazing author. Even as I write this review I am making a mental list of friends and colleagues that I plan on recommending this book to, academic and non-academic alike.

Man will go to great lengths and spend great sums of money and time on the search for life in outer space, but will not look at the magnificent life forms under his feet, those largely unknown creatures that still hold many secrets worth studying. That is the recurring theme of this book, first published in 1968, when the race to the moon was in full swing. Here, Evans, who was considered a leading authority on wasps, ventures into the worlds of various insects with which he seems intimately familiar, demonstrating along the way the significance of these often overlooked animals and the virtues of studying them.
The book is divided into thirteen chapters, most focusing on a single group of insects-springtails, dragonflies, butterflies, fireflies, crickets, flies, cockroaches, bedbugs, locust and wasps-most of them familiar to any reader. But each chapter goes much deeper into the intricacies of every one of those familiar insects than most people ever think about. Every chapter makes you want to go outside and observe those fascinating creatures and the behaviors Evans so knowingly describes. While repeatedly pointing out that very little is known about the biology and behavior of most species of insects (in fact he speaks of our "depth of ignorance" of this group), he proceeds to go into great detail into the mating habits, courtship, feeding, and other behaviors of select species in every group discussed, giving various examples of typical and atypical behavior. In the course of his vivid descriptions, Evans touches on many important aspects of insect biology, and biological concepts in general, from anatomy and physiology to evolution, sexual selection, endocrinology and more.
In his 83 years (he died in 2002), Evans had published numerous papers and books of both technical and popular nature. Along with "Wasp Farm", this is one of the most familiar of his popular books. It can serve as a good introduction for those already fascinated with insects, or convert those who weren't. After reading this book, you won't look at your backyard or the local park the same way. You'll be able to look at dragonflies and recognize a mating flight, scream at a cloud of midges and see them respond to sound, and look carefully at piles of snow for swarms of tiny, fascinating springtails. This book is suitable for anyone who is willing to kneel down and look beneath their feet, or at a plant stem, and wants to know what they're looking at. As an introduction to insect diversity it is a highly enjoyable book, even when the amount of detail into the intimate lives of some insects gets a little tedious. Evans writes in simple and straightforward language, avoiding technical terms as much as possible, and the pages are interspersed with simple but informative black and white illustrations, including some insect structures and major experiments.
In addition to providing insight into the lives of the most common and familiar insects that share the world with us, Evans also introduces his readers to the more unusual species, known mostly to specialists. We learn of the microscopic parasitic wasp Trichogramma evanescens that lays her eggs inside other insects' eggs, sometimes many tiny adult wasps emerging from one moth egg. Or the peculiar habits of springtails, which do not have external genital organs and therefore do not mate at all, where the male leaves his drops of semen scattered around females on little stalks, and has to depend on chance that she will stumble on one.
Every detailed account of a particular species brings home the point that every species is unique, and has to be studied separately, because making generalizations from one species to another can be dangerous. Each insect is incredibly specialized to do only what is necessary for their immediate survival and reproduction, so that each species of insect has only a limited set of responses to a limited set of stimuli. As Evans puts it, every insect is adapted to doing "some things extremely well, and most things not at all". But he continues: "However, so many different kinds of insects have evolved that collectively they can do almost anything not requiring them to reason or to learn very much." Indeed, insects are so diverse that every species has the potential of teaching us something, if only we care to look.
The first chapter and the last two are more general, about people, insects, their relationships and their place in nature. In a chapter devoted to the human impact on nature-that of pesticides, introduced species, biological control, pollution, loss of habitats-Evans laments the loss of natural diversity in favor of human developments in an increasingly crowded planet and emphasizes the importance of preserving what is left, for its own sake as well as for the possibility of things we may still learn from the most obscure creatures. An intelligent application of biological control requires an in-depth knowledge of all the organisms involved and their web of interactions with the biological and physical aspects of their environment; the next medical breakthrough may lie in the hormonal regulation of a soil dwelling arthropod. But to reap these rewards requires an enormous amount of "basic research," curious inquiry into the basic biology of numerous organisms, not driven by immediately foreseeable benefits. It is precisely this type of research that Evans sees as being in danger in a world of "cost-benefit analysis" and "mission-oriented research".
Evans' writing is filled with humor, and he has a knack for summarizing many profound ideas into a witty one-liner. Unfortunately, in discussions of mating practices his brand of humor occasionally turns corny and cringe inducing, perhaps a telling sign of the fact this was written almost 40 years ago. On these occasions he tends to make analogies to human behavior, making statements and innuendo that to a modern reader accustomed to a politically correct world might seem insensitive if not downright sexist. But this in no way diminishes the quality of the content, as he describes the lives of insects with great knowledge and enthusiasm. His fascination with the living world, especially insects, is of the kind many people lose when they enter the adult world. The overarching theme, and his main argument throughout the book (if there is one), is that a lot of good can come from the study of insects and that people should devote more time to this greatly underestimated endeavor. There should be no urgency to look for life in outer space when the greatest mysteries of life on earth are still unsolved. By the end of the book we are left to share his hope that there will be enough curious minds, given enough funds, to pursue those mysteries.

I love this boook!!!!! Its easy to read, yet it goes into enough depth that you really learn about the insects. There's a whole chapter just on fireflies for example. Its the kind of book you can just pick up, read a chapter and say - wow, that's neat. (At least that's what i say) then I'll be outside and I'll be able to see whatever it is that I read about and understand so much more. So basically, the content is fantastic and the writing is so accessible that its not at all intimidating but also not patronizing. Its just very straightforward and so informative. I've learned so much. Its one of my favorite books and I wasn't even that into bugs before this. You won't go wrong with this one!

A co-worker showed me this book one day and after reading it I literally wanted to hug the book. It was so sweet. The illustrations are a perfect match to the loving story. The story is about a young boy and his grandfather and all the things they enjoy doing together. I'm neither a grandfather nor a grandson and I still loved this book dearly. I recommend it to anyone at all!

This gentle tale throws the reader a bit of a curve and leaves you with an "oh, yeah" affirmation. This story recounts the everyday adventures of a grandfather and his grandson, clearly two peas in a pod, who share a fondness for hot chocolate with tons of marshmallows, watching construction equipment, telling jokes, and just being in the "now."

Both the typography and illustrations evoke warmth and love, making this a great choice for reading to four- to seven-year-olds.

The whole book is heartwarming and lovely, but the end is the real clincher. I read it over and over again the first time I checked it out from the library, and decided it had to be part of my kid's permanent collection. The book starts off with "My favorite person is coming to visit me today..." and goes on to take you through a story of two people sharing time together and enjoying the simple things in life, like hot chocolate "with as many marshmallows as you want". It teaches that part of love is sharing small things in common together, and you're never too old to enjoy the company of a little person if you don't lose touch with the kid inside yourself.

I read this heartwarming book and instantly thought of my dad's relationship with his out-of-town grandchildren. Drinking cocoa, working on projects together, telling bad knock-knock jokes and reading stories are EXACTLY what my niece and nephew like to do with their grandpa when they visit. Now grandpa will have a new story to share!

What a wonderfully beautiful little book! Hiroe Nakata's brilliant watercolours are a perfect match for the elegant story. I recommend this treasure to anyone. ENJOY!