Nature All Around: Bugs

Bugs are often regarded as annoying, creepy, crawly, sometimes flying creatures that bedevil us. Actually, these critters are a fascinating part of our natural world, as author Pamela Hickman and illustrator Carolyn Gavin point out in this colorful book describing the properties of these essential entities. Included within the bug label are insects of course, but also spiders, snails, earthworms, millipedes, the curly pillbug, and many others. These creatures are characterized by the types of metamorphoses they undergo, their habitats, the seasons in which they prevail, their body parts, and their roles in nature. Included is a guide for the young reader to collect and identify some of the bugs, along with a design to construct an insect feeder. In both words and drawings are the clues to distinguish bees from wasps, butterflies from moths, dragonflies from damselflies. In this beautifully illustrated book filled with plants, colorful flowers, and myriad camouflaged bugs, secrets about the bug world are revealed that will captivate the interest of the curious. Along with other animals, insect populations are also threatened, and the reader is encouraged to appreciate the value of insects and other critters in our environment. Along with feeding the young reader’s fascination for the unknown, this book provides a lovely introduction to the biological world.