Mosquito (Heinemann First Library: Bug Books)

Jill Bailey is a Heinemann Raintree author.

Grade 1-3-Three simply written introductions with visual pizzazz. A large, full-color photograph of the animal dominates almost every page, while a short paragraph of large-print text appears either above or beneath it. Organization of material is good. Each two-page section covers a different topic. Chapter headings come in the form of bold-print questions, e.g., "How do ladybugs grow?" Each title succinctly describes its subject's major physical or behavioral characteristics: life cycle, average life span, habitat, diet, and natural enemies. The books are clearly written and do a good job of presenting basic facts. However, some useful information has been omitted. In Ladybug, the pupal stage of development is not depicted, although the text mentions it-all other stages are shown. Only Mosquito mentions mating. Ladybug and Snail just discuss egg laying and the birth and development of the young. These are minor flaws, however. Although Emery Bernhard's Ladybug (Holiday, 1992; o.p.) mentions mating and includes an illustration of the pupal stage of the beetle, its color drawings are not as effective as the close-ups in Hartley and Macro's book. Useful titles with great browser appeal.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
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