Zoom in on Ladybugs (Zoom in on Insects!)

Explore the world of the ladybug with author Melissa Stewart. Find out what ladybugs look like, what they eat, and what their life-cycle stages are. Use the 'Zoom In' bubbles in the book for an up close look at different parts of a ladybug's body, including its wings and antennae!

The Zoom in on Insects! series does just what good science books for a young age group should: offer facts in short but easily understandable texts. Clear and engaging photos help whet readers’ appetites to learn more. The titles follow a pattern, introducing habitats, body parts, and how the titular subject evolves. Ladybugs shows how color helps repel predators. Each book ends with an illustration of the insect’s life cycle and a page directing children toward helpful websites. The best part of the series is the wonderfully crisp photos, with certain images—an insect’s eye, for example—lifted from the larger picture and put into a “zoom bubble,” where kids can really see what’s going on. Primary-grade students and their teachers will certainly appreciate this. Grades 1-3. --Ilene Cooper