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Synopsis
Ever had an in-your-face encounter with a caterpillar? Darlyne Murawski came eye-to-eye with a spiny caterpillar in Costa Rica—and was severely stung by the harmless-looking creepy-crawly. But she still got the picture. It's one of many caterpillar close-ups which illustrate this extraordinary book. Readers learn to study these insects like the experts: witness the astonishing life cycle with its metamorphosis from caterpillar to pupa to butterfly; see the amazing snake-like defenses of some poisonous species; and the silk stitching used by others to build leafy hideaways.
Face to Face with Caterpillars encourages an active study of this intriguing insect: How to find caterpillars, how to raise a monarch, how to help preserve their habitats, how to photograph the caterpillar, and how to learn more; it's all in Darlyne Murawski's fun book
Children's Literature
The enlarged photograph of a caterpillar on the cover makes it look like some incredible alien monster. How did Murawski get all of these fantastic photographs? The opening spread shows the lengths a photographer will go to in order to get just the right shot—even if it means lying on your back with the ants biting like crazy. In addition to all of the fascinating information about caterpillars, the photographs show the incredible variety among these creatures—hairy, colorful, speckled, mottled, smooth, prickly—they seem to come in endless variations. Caterpillars may eat a variety of plants or just a specific kid of plant and, while they are great eating machines, caterpillars are also food for many others. As a result, they have developed some interesting defenses such as false faces, looking like a spider, blending in with the background, and bright coloring to warn that they taste bad. Caterpillars molt and may go through four to seven stages between molts (instars) before becoming a pupa. The final pages address how readers can help protect the caterpillars so they become moths or butterflies, and also how the reader can become a budding animal photographer. If a young reader is working on a report, the facts-at-a-glance, the glossary, and the find-out-more sections will be particularly helpful. The latter includes printed materials as well as web sites. An excellent book for school, public library, and home use. Look for other titles in the "Face to Face" series.