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32 pp.
| Simon
| July, 2018
|
TradeISBN 978-1-5344-2468-5$17.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5344-2469-2
(3)
K-3
Heidi, a stick insect, is "tall and long like the twig of a tree." It's her first day at Bug School, but she blends into her surroundings so well that no one notices her. Finally, one student tries to incorporate Heidi into a weaving project, and Heidi makes her presence known. Lighthearted details in the mixed-media illustrations depict a busy classroom of insects and arachnids.
(3)
1-3
Judy Moody and Friends series.
Illustrated by
Erwin Madrid.
On April Fools' Day (also Judy Moody's birthday!), third grader Judy wants to fool her favorite teacher, and a stick insect gives her the perfect idea. When a fifth grader says "there's no such thing as the Tooth Fairy," Judy sets out to prove otherwise. As usual, the full-color illustrations pop and the series' characters shine in these transitional-reader spinoffs of the longer chapter books. Review covers these Judy Moody and Friends titles: April Fools', Mr. Todd! and Judy Moody, Tooth Fairy.
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Jonny Lambert.
This illustrated life cycle of a walking stick introduces the insect's "tricks," such as camouflage and limb regeneration. In addition to the read-aloud-perfect main narrative (onomatopoeic phrases and the titular refrain are sprinkled throughout in a large font), blurbs on each spread provide more in-depth scientific explanations for budding entomologists. Pattern-rich full-spread illustrations extend the text and provide visual cues for new readers.
(4)
K-3
Creepy Creatures series.
Close-up color photos showing creepy crawlies in their natural environments dominate these introductions. The texts deliver basic (sometimes incomplete) information on diet, predators, habitat, etc. in short, simple sentences with vocabulary words set apart in bold font. Though little distinguishes these books from extant titles, the final activities, clean designs, and excellent photos will draw in browsers. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Creepy Creatures titles: Dragonflies, Fleas, Grasshoppers, Mites, Moths, and Stick Insects.
24 pp.
| Bearport
| January, 2013
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-61772-733-7$23.93
(4)
K-3
Even More SuperSized! series.
Simple text, stock photos, and maps introduce the habitat, diet, life cycle, physical characteristics, and behavior of the featured animal. Despite some cheesy section titles, the clear comparisons ("With its arms stretched out, the octopus is about as long as a minivan") and straightforward text will help readers understand more difficult concepts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Even More Supersized titles: Giant Pacific Octopus, Walking Sticks, and Giant Weta.
24 pp.
| Gareth
| March, 2011
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4339-4615-8$22.60
(4)
K-3
World of Bugs series.
Each volume provides very basic facts about the title "bug." The leveled texts are choppy and provide little substantive information, but they may give confidence to new readers. It's more likely that children will be drawn to the books' clear, up-close photographic images than to the writing. A useful "Words to Know" page, with accompanying photos, is appended to each text. Review covers these World of Bugs titles: Beastly Beetles, Freaky Flies, Mysterious Mantises, Repulsive Roaches, Strange Spiders, and Weird Walking Sticks.