The Reader's Digest Children's Book of Insects and Spiders - Hardcover

Robertson, Matthew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1840882824 ISBN 13: 9781840882827

Publisher: Reader's Digest Children's Books, 2000

Synopsis

Reader's Digest Pathfinders

Insects and Spiders

Don't swat that bug -- It just might be your friend. There are literally billions of multi-legged flyers, swimmers, and crawlers out there. Some eat plants. Some eat other insects...and that's a good thing, or we'd be swimming in a sea of them! They may be small, but their sheer numbers mean insects and spiders have a huge impact on our world. And you're about to get personal with some of them in Insects and Spiders.

Did you know that if it weren't for beetles that eat dung and decaying bodies, our world would be a very smelly place? Or that most spiders are really good guys -- their appetite for insects such as cockroaches, wasps, and flies makes them nature's pest control experts? Read on for a completely new perspective on the world around you. Get the "Inside Story" on what insects and spiders do for us, or try the "Hands On" projects for tips on tracking down insects that crawl through your backyard. You can read up on a favorite topic, and then jump straight to a related yet different one.

About this title

Review

Packed with hair-raising information about the bizarre comings and goings of creepy-crawlies, Insects and Spiders will either drive arachnophobes over the edge or cure them forever. A mere sampling of the utterly fascinating facts found within: A female spider eats her mate only if he's clumsy or if she gets distracted (an exception is the six-humped dome spider--you don't even want to know what she does to her partner). Some insects pretend to be other kinds of insects for self-preservation or to trap prey. There's even a beetle that communicates with wood ants to trick them into feeding it. Love the feel of silk? Consider this: it's made from caterpillar spit! Enjoy butterflies? Not all of them are the delicate flower-sipping lovelies we imagine. In this book, learn about the South American heliconiid butterfly, which sips urine. Or the vampire moth, which sucks the blood of its victims, including humans! There's still plenty of information on the more standard, garden-variety spiders and insects and their impact on the planet. But with features such as Inside Story, Hands On, Word Builders, That's Amazing, and Pathfinder, readers of all ages will satisfy their thirst for knowledge of the insect world, from the mundane to the remarkable.

Rather than being a comprehensive encyclopedia of insects and spiders, this book focuses on more generic features of these critters, while providing loads of specific examples. Sections on flying, defensive action, body language, and spiders versus insects give a terrific overview of the world at our feet (and in the air and underwater!). With its friendly text, up close and personal photos and illustrations, and glossary, Insects and Spiders makes a wonderful addition to the Reader's Digest Pathfinders series. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Dozens of insect and spider species are profiled in this profusely illustrated overview. Two-page chapters include information on basic anatomy, general physical and behavioral characteristics common to all species, and special characteristics of particular orders. Each spread includes an introductory paragraph, a dozen or so illustrations of representative species, and additional bits of information in extended captions scattered over the remaining space. The art is an eclectic mix of good-quality, different-sized, full-color photographs and drawings. Two features alternate between sections: "Hands On" gives brief directions for collecting specimens or conducting simple experiments, but the directions are often too cursory for the types of activities described. "Inside Story" discusses significant findings by scientists or other experts. Large anatomical diagrams appear in several sections. This book's greatest strength is its colorful, cleverly designed format. The text itself, while clearly written, is diffusely organized, and the index is incomplete. Jinny Johnson's Simon & Schuster Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders (S & S, 1997) is a better bet for reports as it gives more in-depth information on many of the same creatures and is more tightly organized. With its strong browsing appeal, however, this newer book will be a useful addition to natural-history sections.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Reader's Digest Children's Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 1840882824
• ISBN 13: 9781840882827
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 64