The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs: Discover Amazing Butterflies, Moths, Spiders, Dragonflies, and Other Insects!

by Judy Burris, Wayne Richards

Overview

This fun book will have kids bugging out! Explore the fascinating miniature world of spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, butterflies, and more as stunning photography combines with expert information to create an up-close-and-personal look at the hidden lives of these tiny backyard residents. Watch each creature progress through different life stages as they eat, grow, and learn in a natural setting. Surprising and captivating, this one-of-a-kind introduction to the crawlers and flyers just outside the door is a delight for nature lovers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603425636
Publisher:	Storey Books
Publication date:	06/01/2011
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	164,606
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Judy Burris is the co-author of The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs and The Life Cycles of Butterflies. She and her brother and co-author, Wayne Richards, have spent many years observing, raising, and photographing the amazing lives of insects in their own backyards in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, a brother-sister author team, have been intrigued with butterflies since they were children. They have spent many years observing, raising, and photographing these miraculous creatures. Judy and Wayne live in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Editorial Reviews

This title finds beauty and value in a world of small creatures that crawl, fly, and jump, with first-person narration by the sister-brother team of authors adding to its charm...Riveting color photographs of the life stages of each bug accompany its description. Especially impressive are the artful close-ups showcasing the differences in tiny eggs...Intended to inspire budding entomologists to get their hands dirty and scare mom with some creepy crawlies in the process, the volume satisfies on both scores. Older readers will glom onto the wealth of knowledge about life cycles and information on how to grow the best host plants for these bugs, while the picture-book format will undoubtedly elicit excited choruses of "Gross!" from younger readers. The species highlighted are commonly found across the United States and readers are challenged to find these bugs for themselves, with tips provided on how to raise moths and, importantly, protect bug habitat...At its heart, this is a book about noticing and preserving the invertebrates we take for granted. It intrigues throughout and leaves readers with the feeling that their own backyard is a wonderland waiting to be discovered.

ForeWord Reviews

Gr 4–6—The life cycles of more than three dozen common insects and a smattering of spiders are examined in a smooth blend of text and photos. The book outlines a garden's seasonal cycles, explains the process of metamorphosis (complete and incomplete), and then profiles a variety of groups and individual species of arthropods. In each section-mostly spreads-short paragraphs of text and extended picture captions describe the featured "bugs'" distinctive physical and behavioral characteristics at each developmental stage; their diets; host plants; defense mechanisms, etc. A series of different-sized, sharp, color close-ups depicts their metamorphosis; about two thirds of the sections show the egg stage. Among the insects profiled are ladybugs, hoverflies, aphids, and butterflies. An abbreviated section on spiders describes general characteristics of orb-weavers, lie-in-waits, jumpers, and the Black Widow. The well-organized text is clearly written, peppered with engaging personal anecdotes and observations of the author/photographer team. While Melissa Stewart's Maggots, Grubs, and More (Millbrook, 2003) describes the characteristics of seven of the same insects in more detail, this title profiles a greater number of arthropods and offers more visual detail on their development. Young naturalists wanting to identify the backyard "bugs" they encounter will find this book easy to use.—Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal