Bug Zoo - Hardcover

Baker, Nick

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0756661668 ISBN 13: 9780756661663

Publisher: Dk Pub, 2010

Synopsis

Written by the host of The Smithsonian Channel's Weird Creatures, this book shows children how to turn backyard bugs into fascinating pets and create a "zoo" of insects, spiders, worms and other common creepy-crawlies and includes instructions for building an ant farm, spider house, bee box, wormery and more.

About this title

About the Author

Adventurer and zoologist Nick Baker is a regular on Discovery Channel's Animal Planet and BBC natural history documentaries. Passionate about nature since early childhood, Baker kept a "jam jar zoo" and built his own butterfly house as a boy. He studied biology at college before embarking on a career as a TV naturalist.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 4 This is a colorful, informative, and engaging book about keeping insects if not as pets, then as creatures worthy of intense study. The introduction, Welcome to the Bug Zoo!! promises cannibalism, murder, and chemical warfare, all to take place in a common jar. The book is well organized after an initial inventory of Zoo tools ranging in sophistication from a plastic spoon to a USB microscope, Baker introduces the different insects most youngsters are likely to encounter. He then details the best way to create an appropriate habitat, which should also provide optimal observation opportunities. Key symbols appear throughout, alerting readers when the information pertains to finding the bugs or feeding them, and whether parental assistance is needed. The author also provides instruction on ways to tag the creatures for observational and note-taking purposes. Baker's enthusiasm for the subject is evident throughout. Because it provides interesting facts about insects as well as how-to tips, this title will find an audience with curious readers and would-be zookeepers alike. It may even intrigue avowed entomophobes. Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA
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Let’s face it, kids love bugs. While insect-identification books abound, there is a curious lack of practical guides to catching and keeping them. The Discovery Channel’s naturalist Nick Baker opens this book with information on equipment and techniques for capturing and caring for insects, followed by sections focusing on 13 different bugs. Each section includes facts about the bugs, along with fascinating close-up photos and easy-to-follow instructions on how to approach them, how to build a suitable habitat, and what to feed them. Also included are suggestions for interesting things to observe with each creature. The habitats are relatively easy to construct (with a little adult help for the youngest aspiring entomologist), and the bugs discussed are readily available in most areas. The 13 featured species include worms, slugs, earwigs, ladybugs, crickets, wood lice, and mosquito larvae. The photographs, accessible information, and amusing line illustrations make this a great browsing choice, while Baker’s enthusiasm is contagious. Grades 2-4. --Lynn Rutan

Edition details

• Publisher: Dk Pub
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0756661668
• ISBN 13: 9780756661663
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64