Beetles

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-Two of the most prolific members of the insect kingdom are examined in these concisely written introductions. Each text describes the general physical and behavioral characteristics of the species as well as behaviors that benefit or harm humankind. Each title also provides directions for collecting and keeping insect specimens, conducting four experiments designed to test the insects' reactions to various stimuli (light, moisture, food, etc.), and performing a few simple observational activities. A short glossary and a list of supply sources are also included. One or two clear, color photographs accompany the text on almost every page. The books are well organized and clearly written, with scientific terms defined as they appear. However, some useful information is omitted. For instance, not all of the insects are identified by common name in the captions, and while some photos show the anatomical features discussed in the text, they are not labeled. Despite these minor flaws, both titles will be good companion volumes to standard introductions on these subjects such as Sylvia Johnson's Beetles (Lerner, 1982) and Christopher O'Toole's Discovering Flies (Bookwright, 1987; o.p.).-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|