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A Year of Garden Bees & Bugs: 52 Stories of Intriguing Insects
A fascinating journey into the secret life of insects, with QR codes to video and audio to bring the creatures to life.
Just as birds have yearly rhythms, so do insects, bees, beetles, and butterflies. Wildlife experts Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton discover 52 minibeasts from around the world, every week of the year.
They tell the story of what is happening week-by-week in the insect world, in our own backyards, and just outside our patio doors. We delve into the world of the lethal Sydney funnel-web spider in Australian gardens, the migratory mission of the Monarch butterfly in America, and the life of the backdoor scorpions in South Africa. Among the seasonal behavior, the authors have woven history and folkloric tales.
These brilliant stories are complemented by wonderful, commissioned illustrations that bring out the beauty of the entomological world. A QR code for each entry takes you to a video or audio file to further explore the habits of these intriguing creatures. A book for any nature lover to reveal the true wonder of our insect neighbors.
Just as birds have yearly rhythms, so do insects, bees, beetles, and butterflies. Wildlife experts Dominic Couzens and Gail Ashton discover 52 minibeasts from around the world, every week of the year.
They tell the story of what is happening week-by-week in the insect world, in our own backyards, and just outside our patio doors. We delve into the world of the lethal Sydney funnel-web spider in Australian gardens, the migratory mission of the Monarch butterfly in America, and the life of the backdoor scorpions in South Africa. Among the seasonal behavior, the authors have woven history and folkloric tales.
These brilliant stories are complemented by wonderful, commissioned illustrations that bring out the beauty of the entomological world. A QR code for each entry takes you to a video or audio file to further explore the habits of these intriguing creatures. A book for any nature lover to reveal the true wonder of our insect neighbors.
- GenresNatureNonfictionAnimals
224 pages, Hardcover
Published April 9, 2024
7 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Couzens
83 books16 followersDominic Couzens is an expert bird guide and author. He has published numerous books and articles on natural history, including for BBC Wildlife and Bird Watching, specialising in birds and mammals. His books include Extreme Birds, Atlas of Rare Birds, The Secret Lives of Garden Birds, and Top 100 Birding Sites of the World.
He travels widely for writing and speaking, and his website is www.birdwords.co.uk.
He travels widely for writing and speaking, and his website is www.birdwords.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 12, 2025
Some people can’t abide insects or other types of creepy crawlies, but having read this beautifully made book, I can’t understand why they wouldn’t find these types of animals fascinating.
There is one insect or minibeast per week to learn about and the authors have chosen all types from all over the world. There are spiders, ants, bees, butterflies and even a praying mantis. There are details on their lifecycle, the folklore and the way that humans need these animals as part of a complete ecosystem.
I did have a few favourites from the selection; the Hummingbird Hawk Moth, the Dark-Edged Bee-Fly, Rose Chafer and the Peacock Jumping Spider.
I really liked this book. There are lovely illustrations throughout by Lesley Buckingham of each of the insects, but the best bit is being able to scan the QR code to go to the Batsford website to watch a short video of each of the minibeasts in question. Even if you are not into bugs, I would still recommend this, after all none of them in the book are going to bite!
There is one insect or minibeast per week to learn about and the authors have chosen all types from all over the world. There are spiders, ants, bees, butterflies and even a praying mantis. There are details on their lifecycle, the folklore and the way that humans need these animals as part of a complete ecosystem.
I did have a few favourites from the selection; the Hummingbird Hawk Moth, the Dark-Edged Bee-Fly, Rose Chafer and the Peacock Jumping Spider.
I really liked this book. There are lovely illustrations throughout by Lesley Buckingham of each of the insects, but the best bit is being able to scan the QR code to go to the Batsford website to watch a short video of each of the minibeasts in question. Even if you are not into bugs, I would still recommend this, after all none of them in the book are going to bite!
January 10, 2025
A book about insects, covering—in one three-page essay each—fifty-two creatures from across the world, although it is a little skewed towards insects of Europe and North America. Each insect is beautifully illustrated by Lesley Buckingham; a QR code at the start of the essay takes you to a (very brief) video of the insect, and there’s a short, helpful glossary at the end of the book.
By the end of the book, I have to admit it was all a bit of a blur: I couldn’t remember which insect was responsible for which fantastic feat or surprising feature—but what stayed with me was the sheer impressiveness of these creatures, nearly all of which we tend to overlook. That is what this book sets out to amend, and it does it well: it shows you the insects, shows you why they shouldn’t be dismissed so hurriedly.
On the whole, I enjoyed this a lot. It’s friendly and chatty; the jargon is kept to a minimum, and usually explained well enough to make this not a slog for a lay reader. I wish there had been more insects from beyond Europe and America, and I wish the videos had been a little more uniform; some (the ants, for example) tend to be from too far off to enable a viewer to appreciate the creature.
Worth a read if you’re at all interested in natural history.
(Slightly longer and more detailed review at my blog, here: https://madhulikareads.wordpress.com/...)
By the end of the book, I have to admit it was all a bit of a blur: I couldn’t remember which insect was responsible for which fantastic feat or surprising feature—but what stayed with me was the sheer impressiveness of these creatures, nearly all of which we tend to overlook. That is what this book sets out to amend, and it does it well: it shows you the insects, shows you why they shouldn’t be dismissed so hurriedly.
On the whole, I enjoyed this a lot. It’s friendly and chatty; the jargon is kept to a minimum, and usually explained well enough to make this not a slog for a lay reader. I wish there had been more insects from beyond Europe and America, and I wish the videos had been a little more uniform; some (the ants, for example) tend to be from too far off to enable a viewer to appreciate the creature.
Worth a read if you’re at all interested in natural history.
(Slightly longer and more detailed review at my blog, here: https://madhulikareads.wordpress.com/...)
January 11, 2026
A delightful book full of facts and tidbits about different bugs and bees, accompanied by beautiful illustrations. I wonder how the 52 bugs were chosen, as it felt a bit unbalanced at times. It is hard to include a comprehensive overview in the chosen style but sometimes the info felt a bit light on. Other bugs were written about beautifully. All bugs were written about with passion.
A good book to be able to pick up and read some light facts with no big commitment.
A good book to be able to pick up and read some light facts with no big commitment.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews