A Crackle of Crickets: A Compilation of Insect Collective Nouns - Softcover

PatrickGeorge

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908473002 ISBN 13: 9781908473004

Publisher: PatrickGeorge, 2012

Synopsis

A compilation of creepy-crawly collective nouns complete with stunning and appealing illustrations perfectly designed for challenging enquiring minds

A plague of locusts, a flock of lice, a colony of ants: these are some of the insect collective nouns you may already know. But have you heard of a loveliness of ladybirds, a clew of worms, or a kaleidoscope of butterflies? Then turn the pages of this book to discover a collection of lesser-known and sometimes more fanciful terms, and hope that you will never be forced to encounter a ghost of knats or a bike of wasps—but if you do at least you'll know what to call them!

About this title

About the Author

PatrickGeorge is an independent publisher that offers a full range of graphic design and illustration services. By focusing on unique designs and bold illustrations, they aim to produce books for kids that are witty and educational, colorful and accessible, challenging and stimulating, and—perhaps most importantly—fun.

Reviews

Gr 3-5-A Filth of Starlings (2011), and A Shiver of Sharks (2012, both PatrickGeorge) are among the publisher's books focusing on collective nouns. This one is devoted to insects and includes many unfamiliar terms such as "a loveliness of ladybugs," and "a ghost of gnats"; however it mistakenly groups "a culture of bacteria," "a clew of worms," and "a venom of spiders" in its insect classification. Each collective noun is followed by a few short statements. The locust and the grasshopper are treated as though they were separate insects, which they are not. Some explanation should link the two entries. The digital artwork employs saturated colors and abstract silhouettes of the creatures. The image for "a plague of locusts" shows a black silhouette of the Grim Reaper holding a long stick; his sickle blade is a white silhouette of the locust. Ruth Heller's A Cache of Jewels (Grosset & Dunlap, 1987) is a beautiful introduction to collective nouns. Of course, adults who love language will also want to refer to James Lipton's The Exaltation of Larks (Grossman, 1968), which includes an extensive index of collective nouns.-Teresa Pfeifer, The Springfield Renaissance School, Springfield, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: PatrickGeorge
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908473002
• ISBN 13: 9781908473004
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 48