Orchid Mantises

Children's Literature

Beautiful to behold, but with a deadly bite, the orchid mantis of Southeast Asia is a master of disguise. Handsome color photos clarify a text that is organized and clearly presented. From describing its habitat, disguises and mimicry, mating and hatching rituals to relating its mysterious discovery in 1899, the fascinating text will keep readers engaged. This is an ideal choice for independent research or for those with a deep curiosity about exotic plants. An index, glossary, and web site references are appended. Other titles in this "Really Wild Life of Insects" series focus on equally rare and intriguing insects. 2003, Power Kids press,
— Beverley Fahey

School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-Each of the featured insects is a master of disguise. The orchid mantis's body parts, coloring, and markings enable it to mimic the flower on which it lives and ambush prey; the peanut-head bug can blend in with its surroundings, while its misshapen head and body size gives it the semblance of a lizard to fool predators. Both books make effective use of color, resulting in striking layouts. Blocks of text, set within large, violet-tinged rectangles and overlaid on solid black, concisely describe the major characteristics shared by all members of the insect's order, or suborder; the particular species' distinctive physical and behavioral characteristics; and defense mechanisms. In most sections, a full-page, sharp, color close-up photograph of the insect appears opposite the text. The majority of these illustrations are also set against a black background. A few of the photos also include an insert entitled "Fun Facts," and many of the picture captions offer additional bits of information. Both titles are also well organized and clearly written. Bianca Lavies's photo-essay Backyard Hunter: The Praying Mantis (Puffin, 1995) focuses on the Chinese mantis, and Rebecca Stefoff's more general Praying Mantis (Benchmark, 1996) briefly describes flower mantises. Doug Wechsler's Bizarre Bugs (Boyds Mills, 2003) includes a brief segment on the peanut-head bug, but does not discuss its characteristics in detail. Hipp's titles will be useful to students researching tropical and subtropical insects and will also appeal to natural history buffs with a taste for the unusual.-Karey Wehner, formerly at San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.