Insects Books

This book is really great. It is full of cute bugs and great pop-ups. My daughter loves it and we sing it all year.

Our great grandsons (ages 2 and 4) are enjoying the book and begging constantly to have them read.

My 3 1/2yr old bug lover is enamored with this book (and Jingle Bugs too). He LOVES to sing the 12-bugs-of Christmas and it is good for his memory skills to try to remember them all. When he hears the 12-Days-of-Christmas on the radio, he always points out how it is so similar to HIS song! Ha!

I am a big fan of David Carter's bug pop up books. At first the concept seems a bit odd and off setting, but they really are cute bugs, and the interactive elements are quite thoughtful and inventive.

This book goes through the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas," but makes up new words that are related to his buggy creations. Throughout the book, you open each present (lift the flap), to see the bugs inside. Inside each package is some type of pop up element (my favorite is the one that comes complete with tinsel). Each is creative, delicate (as one reader mentioned), and attention getting.

My only reservation about this book is that the interactive elements are not as diverse as in his other Christmas book, Jingle Bugs. With this book, it is basically entirely lift the flap, whereas the other one has different types of activities throughout. However, I do like the fact that you can sing to this one (a great plus in keeping little ones interested).

My 6 and 2 year old kids love this book and wanted to read it over and over during Christmas. The bugs are really cute and Christmas themed. There are tinsel bugs, gingerbread bugs, fruitcake bugs, yodeling Christmas tree bugs. The pop ups work smoothly.

You can even sing the book to the tune of 12 days of Christmas - if you can stand it.

I really enjoyed this book. The author obviously knows her way around Volkswagens. I'm so glad she made Daisy use the bible of Volkswagens - John Muir's "Idiot's Guide".

This was a cute love story, and an awesome story about a gal and her Beetle, but how many 15-yr-olds enjoy this? My critical eye says this book is too romancy for boys, and too technical for a lot of girls (Not all, however. There are those of us females who are mechanically-minded). As a 20-something VW enthusiast, however, I thought the book was fabulous.

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything from Volkswagons to love and it really showed that girls CAN be mechanics and that cars aren't just for guys. The author did a really great job describing how a fifteen year old acts and what it feels like to be in one's first real romance.

Daisy Pandolfi, the main character had strong will and tons of determination. She knew what she wanted, which was a 57' purple Volkswagon that had been her dads and was being neglected in the icehouse in their meadow. After Daisy begged her dad to let her have the Volksie, he finally gave in and she recieved the barely fixable old car. Daisy fixed it up all by herself without help from her family, all of whom are excellent mechanics. This book was really enjoyable and I reccomend it to everyone!

this was a great book, this is the first book i have read in a long time my dad asked if it was good and i said yes and he said it must be becuase i never read and i never put this one down. I found this book after asking the librarian what some good books are and he handed me this book i thought it was going to be dumb but it wasnt. This book is about a 15 year old girl who is becoming a freshmen and doesnt have a car everyone in her family are mechanics and she wants to rebuild her dads old puple VW bug and he doesnt think it is a great idea because it had been sitting in their ice house for so long but he gave in and let her take it out and work on it she spent her whole summer working on this car but then when the school year starts she and her friend billy take it out for a spin and something happens and there is oil everywhere and she doesnt know whats wrong and she doesnt want anyhelp from anyone so she finaly lets Billy look at it and he finds out that their is a crack in her crankcase and she will have to get a new one so for christmas her parents buy her a new one and the car is fine and runs so on christmas eve after church Billy comes over and she gives him the bug on loan till she turns 16 because when Billy was little his dad left them and doesnt send money so he cant go to college and works at his moms garden shop for christmas to sell trees. This was a great book and i would like to read more of her books...

This is a great book i dont like to read books and i love this one the author does a great job wrighting this book and does a great job keeping you hoked. This is the first book i have read in a long time my dad asked if it was good because he hasent seen me ever not put a book down i love this author and i am looking for more books by her. This book is about a young 15 year old girl who wants her dads old puple vw bug that he has put in the there ice house she works on it all summer and gets it up to shape to drive the one day her and her friend billy are driving it and and the find oil all over the ground she finds out later that there is a split in the crank case and it will have to be replaced so for christmas her parents and her buy a new one so now the beetle is all fine. Her friend Billy has graduated and doesnt have a car to drive and is in love with Daisy and wants to marry her but she doesnt know if she feels the same way and as a present the him she gives him the beetle on loan till she is 16 and can drive it, this is how the book ends and i am kinda wanting there to be another book after this one but thats just me.
sincerly Charity Summerlin

In simple, straightforward language, Karen Romano Young unfolds how a seemingly awkward yet strong and determined heroine comes to terms with her dreams, her family, and herself. Daisy Pandolfi is a believable heroine who makes no excuses for wanting what she wants. She doggedly restores their old VW Bug and discovers heartbreak, disappointment, and love in the process. Her strength was an inspiration to me -- and I'm 23! I wish I was like that when I was 15.

The book is a love story, true, but not in the mushy line of commercial teen flicks. The romance aspect develops slowly, surely, imperfectly. But at the heart of it all was how Daisy tackled her independence. In a quiet exchange that moved me to tears, Daisy tells her father not to tell her what to do, just to tell her when she's doing it wrong. In the end, it IS a love story -- of a girl for her dreams, of a girl for her family.

I sincerely enjoyed the different characters that Karen Romano Young painted in this book, and I look forward to reading her other works.

This is a fabulous book for insect and photography enthusiasts alike. The 3-D effect is so real it is like the bugs are sitting on your nose! My 14-year-old nephew likes the book and so do my adult friends. All of Blum's 3-D books are highly recommended.

BUGS in 3-D

I highly recommended this book for school children and adults alike.

I was introduced to one of Blum's books by a friend and liked it so much that I sought out and bought all of his 3D books. I find the price so reasonable that I've since bought more to give as gifts.

I enjoy looking at the 3-D photos as much as my seven year old son so I already know several adults as well as children who will be getting this book as a gift.

The technical quality of the photos and printing of the books is very good. A magnifying, stereo viewer is built into a unique bi-fold cover of the book A little research showed that this idea is well over a hundred years old (like stereo photography) but I still find it very innovative because it is so rare and unusual.

The photographer has an inspired eye and top technical skill. The macro photography is amazing. If you buy this book hold it high with your head back when you look at the close-up of the Zebra Tarantula (plate 4). It will freak you out like your about to be eaten! Then go to plate 40 and look at the beautiful butterfly.

The writing accompanying each image adds to the photos with just the right amount of scientific and general information to serve both young and old reader. I like this book very much and I hope you find this review helpful. I recommend looking for the other 3-D books by Blum. They are all great!

This is a wonderful book. Well designed, with fine viewer and sharp photos. A real bargain for the price. I'll need to collect the whole series. If you are familiar with stereo photography, this is a must have. If you think 3-D means added shadowing, this is a must have.

The publisher has unfortunately tried to market these fabulous works as childrens books (not that they aren't wonderful for kids as well), but these photos are truely amazing both in the quality of the photography, but also in the presentation. They are printed on very high quality coated paper with a STURDY set of lenses built right into the hard cover, which allows you to view them in all their splendor without any additional equipment.

These are not red/blue lenses! The images are presented in true color stereo pairs and when viewed, merge into a single, dynamic 3D image - WOW! I can't say enough about the overall quality of viewing for ADULTS as well as children.

The price is another thing that confuses me. I don't know why these are so inexpensive? I urge anyone who loves nature to buy all of the books in this series!

Mark Blum is clearly a very talented and skillful nature photographer! His books, including BUGS IN 3-D, are all FABULOUS! I can't recommend this book highly enough!

In BUGS IN 3-D, you will be shrunk to the size of a grasshopper, taken off to exotic forests, and introduced face-to-face to some really amazing insects! It is just like entering their world! INCREDIBLE!

The photography is exquisite!
The 3-D stereo effect is remarkable!
The subject is fascinating!
The price is bargain!
There are NO negatives about this book!
Children, parents, science students, naturalists; I can't think of anybody who won't love this book!

BUY IT!!

My six year old had this was for summer reading and has been carrying it around to show us all

My two year old likes this book. Colorful pages. I was looking for books that had some thing to do with butterflies - her current fascination. And there are indeed butterflies in this book.

We bought this book for my two year old, as Fish Wish was his favorite and we like the author's style. Another wonderful and colorful / informative book. It was especially great as an introduction to summer.

I bought the book for my granddaughter who loves bugs.
She loves the book and has her mom read it to her everyday.

My daughter is 14 months old and she absolutely loves this book. She pages through it over and over again. We have a pile of about 20 books for her to "read" and this is always the first book she grabs. She points to the bugs and we say the name and then she'll turn the page and continue. She loves the bright color pages. I just wish it came in board book version, because she's wearing out the pages. She is just one, so she's a little rough on paper pages. ;) I love the page in the back that teaches you about the insects.

This book (Cech and Tudor) is perhaps the best nature guidebook ever, definitely the best butterfly or insect book. It is a beautifully illustrated guide to the animals and their natural habitats on the east coast, where I live. It covers most butterflies for the central U. S. and eastern Canada as well, and similar coverage for Texas (with the greatest diversity of all) and the west coast would be great if they could do this project as well.

This is a very informative book and will help you identify butterflies and learn about their habbitats and habits. Not a pocket or field guide, mostly a coffee table book. Very pretty pictures and again a great learning tool!

Not a book that is easily carried around in the field (though I just heard there is a softcover) this book provides much more in depth information on each species compared to other field guides. Great buy!

This is an excellent serious work, not a field guide. The illustrations are all clear color photographs with the best field identifications, range maps and lists of brooding plants I have seen. It is also the most comprehensive for the East Coast of the U. S.. My interest is creating a butterfly garden. It would have benefitted from a list of common names, illustrations of the chrysalides, and a list of food plants, but otherwise it is a wonderfully complete scholarly work.

What part do beauty, grace and harmlessness play for the tough to get going when the going gets tough? According to authors Rick Cech and Guy Tudor, Charles Darwin would say none. For Darwin's survival of the fittest means being as ferocious, speedy and strong as lions and tigers and bears. Yet beautiful, graceful, harmless butterflies have been around much longer than ferocious bears, speedy tigers and strong lions.

As of 1992, 44 fossil records were "officially described" for butterflies. The oldest butterfly fossils date back 48 million years. They were found in Colorado and Texas. They were of metalmarks, nymphalids and swallowtail-like types

But butterflies probably first showed up 60-145 million years ago, along with the first land-growing plants. They make up the largest numbers of plant-eating insects. That's quite a big deal. Only 9 of 29 insect orders have learned to eat plants. Many plants are hard to chew, with thick or waxy outsides. Others are poisonous or friendly to parasitic flies and wasps.

So are butterflies the flighty, intellectual lightweights of the insect world? No, say the authors. In fact, the phrase "bright as a butterfly" means colorful and intelligent. For example, beautifully colored patterns identify Baltimores, Monarchs, Pipevine Swallowtails and Zebra Heliconians as poisonous plant-eaters. Heliconians have a "large mushroom body in their brains thought to be associated with learning." They live at least 6 months, the longest butterfly lifespan. [Mourning cloaks live 11 months. But they sleep through late summer and winter.] They go to the same home every evening, show younger Zebras a regular route of pollen flowers and foodplants, and don't beat against florescent lights.

However, the authors think caterpillars mightn't be so smart. I'm not sure I agree. It's a challenge outrunning cold, disease, drought, fungi, mold, pesticides and storms. It's a bigger challenge keeping out of harm's way from ambush and assassin bugs, ants, birds, lizards, people, robberflies, small mammals and spiders.

It's a still bigger challenge being born and getting fed. For example, the naughty passionvine is a plant butterflies lay eggs on. It makes "false eggs" so the butterfly thinks the space is already taken. Or its nectar glands attract ants that eat buttefly eggs. Or it sends up "decoy tendrils" to drop and break butterfly eggs. Or it sends out sharp hooks to kill by catching, or putting holes in, butterfly caterpillars.

BUTTERFLIES OF THE EAST COAST tells what Atlantic state butterflies look like, what they eat and where they live. The pictures are clear. The information is well organized. I've seen butterfly gardening work: the butterflies and fireflies of childhood are back! How does this book make the world also safe - from pesticides and people - for butterfly children? It comes down to doing what Virginia Tech's advanced master gardeners say: reduce, reuse, recycle. Stop spraying and swatting caterpillars we'll now recognize as butterfly wannabes. Let nature's cycle of life and food chain work. And photograph the caterpillars the authors didn't find.

I'm into lepidoptera, and own several buttefly books. This is definitely my go-to guide, and anytime I go in the field, this is the book I bring. It's great to have photos, field marks, maps, and there are pictures that show variations among different species. The format's great because one side of the page is all photos, and the facing side has the map and text. I think that if you're just getting into butterflies, a book like Introduction to Southern California Butterflies or the Golden Guide Butterflies and Moths are good to start off with, as this one may be a little to much for someone who is not too familiar with butterflies and doesn't know the basics yet.

This book was recommended by a person who was experienced in butterfly identification. As a beginner, it is awesome. So for the experienced and the beginner, it is wonderful. A must buy for the curious in all of us about those beautiful butterflies God put on the face of the earth!

Glassberg's BTB is the benchmark and the book to buy first. You may not need another.

A quick summary for anyone who doesn't want to read my ramblings. This is a great identification reference. It is intended only as an identification guide. And as that, it is excellent. But with so many butterflies described, the casual butterfly observers may want a smaller book / chart with only local species for easier lookup (perhaps in addition).

First, it is important to know what this is. It is a field guide to aid in identification of butterflies and skippers, with very good photos for that end. The photos may not be artistically pleasing to everyone, but they are taken in such a way to best present the butterfly for identification. Unique identification characteristics of individual species are pointed out when they will aid in the identification. Size and geographical distribution is also given. On each photo the author also tells you how large the photo is compared to a real specimen.

This is not a butterfly reference book. You will not find detailed information about the butterflies in this book. Instead, you will be able to identify what you find, and then use the name to look up more details on that butterfly in another book / the Internet.

This is also not a coffee table book with large glossy photos of butterflies. Due to the sheer number of species described in the book, each photo is rather small, and as mentioned earlier, may not be artistically pleasing to everyone. Little attention is paid to the background, since that is not very important to identification. When the plant the butterfly frequents is important to the identification, it will be mentioned in the text.

The sheer number of butterflies in this guide can be overwhelming to the casual observer. I don't know if I'll ever see more than 1% to 2% of the butterflies listed here. Since the butterflies are not sorted by region, getting a less comprehensive book with local species only may be easier for the casual observer. This book stays at home, while I carry a small laminated "quick guide" to common local butterflies.

I don't observe them through binoculars (the book does have a short section on that as well), I photograph them. There's a short section on butterfly photography that, while mainly focused on film photography, does contain some good tips.

The only thing I have not been able to identify definitively so far with this book are skippers.

A while back I wrote a review of the Peterson Series "Field Guide to Western Butterflies", which I had used in the field during the 4th of July Butterfly Count in the Organ Mountains of New Mexico. I gave it five stars as I thought it the best field guide to actually use in the field. The rival Audubon guide to butterflies left me cold because it simply does not show enough detail for identifying hard species. I thus dismissed photo guides because of this bad experience, thinking that artists did better work in illustrating these beautiful insects. I was wrong! There is a way to produce a photo guide to butterflies that actually works and Jeffrey Glassberg has done it! This is the best field guide that I have ever seen for butterflies. The photos, mostly taken by the author, are simply superb! The best thing that Glassberg has done is to standardize the photos so you can compare the same characters. This is a major innovation and must certainly have taken a lot of time. The placing of maps and descriptions opposite the photographic plates is also a major change from the other popular guides. It sure saves a lot of page flipping!

I am often laughed at because I still use a 35 mm SLR for photographing insects, but Glassberg's photos (all with a 35 mm SLR) show why it still may pay. Digitals are, I know, the coming thing and will soon overtake SLRs, but most digitals still cannot match an old Nikon FM2n with a 55 mm macro or an Olympus with a 90 mm macro, both of which I use.

Glassberg's remarks about how much space digital shots take up (5 MB roughly for a decent high resolution) are probably dated because of gigabyte technology which allows as much as 200 shots at a time, even at high resolution. However, I still like the feel of a SLR and many digitals (but not the more expensive ones) are boxy and difficult to hold. I get irritated with the automatic focus that often keeps me from getting the shot of an easily disturbed subject.

Those aside; if you are at all interested in butterflies and can afford only one book, get this guide! It is the new standard for photo guides and it will be hard to ever beat it.

Definitely a favorite book of both my son and me. I even ordered it as a baby shower gift. Love it every time I read it.

I give this book to ALL gratuates, I read it every year to my kids classes since Kindergarten and just read it to 3rd graders. Every parent needs to teach this to thier kids at any age. I read it often for myself!! A great great book!!

The beautiful, colorful illustrations provide an incredible backdrop for the author's inspirational rhyming verse. This a book I've read to my children (ages 5 and 9) over and over. I also use it as a tool to encourage the [...]students I work with to have a great attitude, never give up and believe in themselves. It is also my first choice to give as a graduation gift.

I purchased this book from one of my neighbors who was raising money for her school. When I got it, my son was just a few months old and I put it aside with all the "When he gets older books." When he was 2 1/2 yrs old, he found the book and asked me to read it to him. What a wonderful book! I was so upset with myself for waiting over 2 yrs to read it! My son LOVES this book, and so do all of friends. I have bought countless copies and given them as gifts. Everyone just raves about it! It's a story that needs to be told. Giving your child the gift of confidence...what could be better than that?!

My son got this book as a gift for his 1st birthday (and signed by the author!). We read this book once or twice a week. My 18 month old loves it and he points out Buzzy on every page. I like it because it also uses "big" words in a way that you don't normally see in children's literature (words like frustration, envious, and destination). The illustrations are beautiful - the colors are very vibrant and really hold my child's attention as I read to him. I think when he gets older he'll like it for the moral of the story. Overall, this is a favorite in our collection.

My children really liked this book - it is sweet. I would recommend it if your child is having a little school anxiety.

It's about time that a book such as this one hit the shelves!! I work in the public school system and see 'separation anxiety' on a daily basis. Not only do children identify with the main character (what a cutie-pie!), the helpful tips in the book provide parents with the support they need to 'let go'and. I've noticed that many of the foster children in our program enjoy reading this book. All of the adults at my school have purchased copies of this book for their children, as well as, for their families. I can't wait to read more books by this author!!!!!

My daughter started to have issues with separation anxiety when she began first grade. After starting the new year, she started refusing to go to school and would cry for hours. It broke my heart to see her this way, and after speaking to her teacher and vice principal, we agreed that it would take some time and that we would all have to work together. I saw this book online and decided to give it a try. First of all, it is geared towards children. The pictures, as well as the story, helped my daughter relate to the main character. We even tried some of the things that the character did to help her feel secure in school. My daughter would bring a picture of us to school, or bring a small teddy bear to look at when she started to feel sad. We also cut a piece of one of my shirts and she would use it to not only dry her tears, but to carry in her pocket. In addition to the book, my daughter did see a child psychologist twice. Although it was a long and tough struggle, I am happy to say that it is now 4 months later and she is doing very well and has adjusted to first grade. What a relief! I recommend this book for those of you who find yourself in the situation that I was in. It is a great supplement to have while working towards helping your child gain that inner strength and courage. I advise you to use as many resources as you can.

I have four children. My youngest started kindergarten this year and was extremely nervous about it. He's very clingy and very used to just being with me. Although he had attended pre-school, the idea of going on a bus to a "big school" frightened him. I heard about this book from a friend of mine and read it to my son a few days before he started school. He really enjoyed it and asked if he could bring it into school with him!The teacher read it to the class and raved about it too. This is definitely a beautiful and bright way of easing a young child's anxiety (and mom's anxiety!) about going off to school.

I have a 3 year-old daughter who had a hard time adjusting to leaving me and going to pre-school. I have read "The Kissing Hand", a sweet book, but this one is much more specific to the feelings that children can have when they don't want to leave their Moms. My daughter loved the Honey Bee character. The book helps children to help themselves and it tells you exactly how to do it. The illustrations are adorable, too!

Martha is a moth that is getting ready for her birthday bash. As she cooks the "food" for her party she gets really hungry. She ends up eating all but 2 socks! When her friends arrive she is really sad she has no food to serve them. Read and find out how they cheer her up!


The books was well written and just the right length for a picture book. The pages had lots of great illustrations to talk about while reading.


Yes. It's a neat way to learn about moths!

I read this to my children ages 8-3 and they all loved it. It is a very fun story with great illustrations that the kids keep asking me to read over and over. Highly recommended

My 19-month daughter loves animal books, and loves this book about Martha and her friends. Even though the distinction between moth and butterfly is still lost on her, I always get a giggle out of her when she realizes that Martha is eating clothing!

Both she and I love the wonderful watercolour illustrations, which remind of me the books I read as a child as opposed to some of the more disturbing drawings and cartoons children view today.

The story line is obviously meant for kids older than my daughter, but the colour and pictures keep even little ones entertained. I wish there were a simpler version of these characters in a laminated boardbook format for littler readers.

This book is a gem! Cambria's artwork along with this remarkably witty storyline create a warm and cozy "socksy" feeling for any reader. This is certainly a cuddle up by a fire, or relax under the neighbors apple tree read. I loved it, and would suggest it for any children's book enthusiast!

I am a member and founder of a childrens book club with 57 members that has been meeting once a month to lauch a new book for the last four years. I picked MARTHA MOTH as the celebrated new book of the month and arranged for all the matching feastivities to accompany for the books unveiling. Socks draped, cut out moths and a special dust drink. The reading was fantastic and the other parents and teachers were thrilled to have a book full of spice and imagination. The pictures were bold with creativity...a real feast for the eyes. I hope Martha has many adventures in the near future- as it was our book club shinning star thus far.

I have been photographing a Monarch metamorphosis and looking at many books - this one is by far THE BEST!

Anyone who opens its covers...children, teachers, parents... agrees that award winning MONARCH MAGIC is one of the best resources for Monarch Butterfly enthusiasts. The full color photographs are outstanding. The text was originally reviewed by the honored Dr. Lincoln Brower, the country's most well-known authority on monarch butterflies and habitat preservation. I highly recommend MONARCH MAGIC for classrooms everywhere! My students LOVE it!

My second grade students loved this book! They were thrilled to have an autographed copy. The activities were age appropriate and fun follow up activities to support our study of the Monarch's lifecycle. We took photos of our butterflies and the kids thought that we should submit them so Lynn Rosenblatt could have them for her next book. Thanks for the great resource.

Monarch Magic has served my early childhood classroom well! We have found the pictures to be very captivating for the young learners, the crafts are great and easily adaptable for young children. I highly recommend this book to educators, the students instantly became interested in nature and excited to find and learn more about monarchs.

I am an educator. Speaking professionally, this is a book both the child and parent cannot put down. The pictures are amazing and the projects are extremely well conceived and easily accomplished at home or in the classroom. The history and explanations provided are extremely comprehensive, yet very easy to understand. I highly recommend this book to students, parents, and teachers.