Editorial Review

The All about Insects series introduces common backyard critters, utilizing vibrant, closeup photos (often labeled) and clear text. The books provide general overviews that include basic information on the insects’ bodies and life cycles, while concrete details about each kind of insect and sometimes about particular species, both in the main text and in fact boxes, add depth.

For example, All about Butterflies notes that butterfly wings are “thinner than a fingernail” and shares which butterfly species migrate the farthest (painted lady but- terflies, from Africa to the Arctic Circle). All about Dragonflies reveals that prehistoric dragonflies existed before dinosaurs and possessed wingspans of up to three feet long! All about Grasshoppers explains that locusts are a kind of grasshopper that sometimes gathers into a large group-up to 80 million hoppers!-called a swarm, and that the insects may actually change color when swarming. Blue and beige ladybirds join the classic red beetle in All about Ladybugs, which also describes how these insects can play dead as a defense and helpfully gobble up aphids on plants.

The front matter provides “Ideas for Par- ents and Teachers,” and the back matter includes a hands-on activity, a glossary, and an index. These books offer young entomologists plenty of information and make good starting points for research.