Grasshoppers

Children's Literature

If you were a grasshopper, you could jump more than 83 feet. That is quite a jump! In this informative, easy-to-read book, readers learn all about grasshoppers. From how grasshoppers sing to how they are sometimes a tasty snack for humans, each one-page chapter provides young readers with facts and information that will spark their interest. Photographs add even more life to the text, showing close-up views of these common insects. A glossary, websites, and interesting facts are included to help young entomologists get their start. This would be useful in a study on insects or as a scientific activity to accompany a literature study of the fable, "The Ants and the Grasshopper." Part of the "Nature's Friends" series. 2002, Compass Point Books,
— Leah Hanson

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Young researchers will enjoy using this well-organized resource. Body parts, habits, life cycle, different types of grasshoppers, and their relationship to humans are covered. Each spread has a large, clear, color photo and a simply worded, well-spaced text on one topic. Not to be missed is the enormous photo of a hearing hole on a grasshopper's leg. One quibble: on the page showing boys selling strings of roasted grasshoppers, the caption identifying the children simply as "African" is too generic. Additional resources at the end of the book, including a fact page, glossary, worksheet for observing grasshoppers, and a list of further resources, are all age-appropriate and add to the value of the book. Although there are other recent children's books on the subject, this one stands out for its organization and photos.-Ellen Heath, Orchard School, Ridgewood, NJ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.