About Insects: A Guide for Children

by Cathryn Sill, John Sill (Illustrator)

Overview

This beginner's guide to insects is a must-have for bug-obsessed young learners as well as for those who are simply curious about these creatures.

In this addition to the acclaimed About... series, author and educator Cathryn Sill uses simple, easy-to-understand language to teach children what insects are, how they look, how they move, what they eat, and where they live.

With beautifully detailed, realistic paintings, noted wildlife illustrator John Sill introduces readers to a wide variety of insects, from ants and beetles to grasshoppers and the monarch butterfly.

An afterword provides further details, inspiring young readers to learn more.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561458820
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	03/04/2003
Series:	About. . . , #4
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Cathryn Sill, a graduate of Western Carolina University, was an elementary school teacher for thirty years. She is the author of more than twenty-five prize-winning nonfiction picture books about animals and habitats. She has created three nature series especially for pre-K and kindergarten students. She lives in North Carolina.

John Sill holds a BS in wildlife biology from North Carolina State University. Combining his knowledge of wildlife and artistic skill, John has achieved an impressive reputation as a wildlife artist and received many awards. He has illustrated more than twenty-five books in the About... and About Habitats series. He lives in North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

"In image and text the Sills succeed in conveying a great deal of information at a very basic reading level. Excellent classroom or pleasure reading for science and nature fans and for any beginning readers drawn to nonfiction." —Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 1-3-This title offers separate, full-page watercolor paintings of 18 different kinds of insects in their natural habitats. Insects depicted include: silverfish, giant walkingstick, black horse fly, elephant stag beetle, gladiator katydid, honey bee, and luna moth. A single line of large, bold-print text appears on the page opposite each illustration; on the bottom right-hand corner, a caption provides the common name of the species depicted. Each simple sentence or fragment describes either a general characteristic shared by all insects, or a special characteristic of a particular group. Additional bits of general information about insects as well as miscellaneous facts about the featured species are appended. As in About Birds (1991), About Mammals (1997), and About Reptiles (1999, all Peachtree), the realistic watercolor paintings are this book's main focus. They are bright, attractive, and nicely varied in composition. However, despite their visual appeal, the artwork sometimes fails to illustrate the text effectively. For example, the painting of mantis nymphs emerging from an egg case does not match the text, which reads, "Young insects hatch from eggs." As no eggs are visible, this statement is apt to be confusing. Sandra Markle's Creepy, Crawly Baby Bugs (Walker, 1996) provides more detailed information on insect anatomy, reproduction, and behavior and is illustrated with excellent, close-up color photographs.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

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