Cockroaches

Children's Literature

Learning about cockroaches will probably not make them more likeable, but a certain level of appreciation for the insect may be gained. These nocturnal visitors to many a kitchen have lived on the earth for over 350 million years, so they are well engineered. They have flat, oval bodies for squeezing into small cracks. Hairs and claws on their legs allow them to cling to almost anything. While we think of them as city dwellers, most cockroaches live in rain forests, but they can live almost anywhere. They will eat almost anything. A female need mate only once to be able to produce eggs the rest of her life. The cockroaches biggest enemy is humans, because they are simply too filthy to let live in close proximity. They have a bad smell, leave their droppings everywhere, and are believed to carry diseases. To date, this bug is holding its own pretty well against people's efforts to eradicate it. With color photographs, a glossary, index, and Web sites, the information given here would fit in nicely as part of an elementary school science curriculum. Part of the "Naturebooks" series. 2003, The Child's World,
— Barbara Kennedy

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-These glossy introductions give children a firm grasp of the basics. Each one describes its subject's major physical and behavioral characteristics, natural habitats, life cycle, diets, enemies, defense mechanisms, and potential danger to humans. In addition, Merrick discusses the chief differences between centipedes and their close relatives, millipedes; Murray mentions distinctive characteristics of about a dozen particular kinds of beetles. In each title, most pages of text alternate with large, sharp, color close-up photographs of the creatures discussed. Invertebrates depicted are identified by common names in captions. All three books have large, easy-to-read print. The texts are succinctly written and well organized but the highlight of each volume is the photography. Printed on glossy paper, these well-composed illustrations imbue the exoskeletons of most of the invertebrates featured with a soft luster; even the cockroaches have a kind of glamour in the way they are depicted. With their crisp texts and eye-catching color photography, these books will appeal to both browsers and students writing reports.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.