Nonfiction Monday: Insect Detective

We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

INSECT DETECTIVE
by Steve Voake
32 pages, ages 4-8
Candlewick, 2010

How can you find an ants’ nest? Just follow an ant, and eventually it will lead you to its home. Where do earwigs live? Turn over a stone, and you’ll most likely see them; they like to hide out in dark, damp places. How might you find a paper wasp? Listen for a scratching sound near an old fence or wooden picnic table. Perhaps you’ll see a wasp collecting bits of wood which she’ll use to build a nest. In this delightful exploration of the insect world, readers are encouraged to stop, look, listen, and observe these curious, six-legged creatures. Large-size text introduces readers to the habitats and habits of solitary bees, leaf-miner caterpillars, ground beetles, dragonflies and more; smaller-size text defines terms and offers brief, additional fun facts. Delicate pen and ink illustrations in subdued tones show insects making nests, collecting food and using camouflage to hide from predators. Young scientists will “go buggy!” over the final double-page spread that offers instructions on how to entice backyard insects to their own backyards for a better, up-close look. –Review by Heidi Bee Roemer

Steve Voake and his wife Charlotte created Insect Detective together. They live in Somerset, England with their two children. He is a former headmaster at a primary school in his hometown, but recently resigned to write full time. He is currently Senior Lecturer in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University and is a regular tutor for the Arvon Foundation. He is the author of the 'Daisy Dawson' series and has another series titled Hooey Higgins. –Bio by Laura Crawford

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by The Children's War blog.
 

Nonfiction Monday: Feathers

We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

FEATHERS
by Eileen Spinelli
40 pages Ages 9-12
Henry Holt, 2004

What bird gathers items of blue to woo his lady love? What aquatic bird flies on flippery wings through “watersky?” Which bird mimics sound of a whistling train, an alarm clock, a goose, a gong, a fire siren? This engaging collection features poems about 17 selected birds from Africa, Egypt, Australia and the U.S. Highlighting an unusual behavior or characteristic of each bird, Spinelli’s playful verses are both amusing and enlightening. Young readers will learn the road runner zips along at super fast speeds, the fairy tern lays her egg—not in a nest— but balanced on the branch of a tree, and the brave plover hops inside the crocodile’s mouth for a meal. Realistic watercolor-and-acrylic illustrations feature birds posed various activities: singing, swimming, splashing, soaring, racing, hunting, eating, courtship, nest-building, egg-tending, and chick-raising. Colorful, eye-catching borders frame each page or double page spread, adding dimension and interest to the scenes. The final two pages offer additional fun facts about the feathered subjects. Packed with kid-friendly poems and eye appealing illustrations, this book is a perfect introduction to bird studies for children in primary grades. —Review by Heidi Bee Roemer.
 
Eileen Spinelli decided to become a writer when she was just a child. Her father made her a desk from orange crates and gave her an old black manual typewriter, and her mother filled a box with paper. She wrote constantly—at the laundromat, the grocery store line, at the airport and the bus station. Now her favorite place to write is home in her office. She does not use a computer; she writes her stories longhand and then types them out on her electric typewriter. She and her husband Jerry live in Pennsylvania. —Bio by Laura Crawford

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by The Book Nosher blog.