National Geographic Photo Ark Insects: Butterflies, Bees, and Kindred Creatures

by Joel Sartore

Next in the wildly popular Photo Ark franchise, this book uses Joel Sartore’s signature portraits to highlight the amazing features and behaviors of the world’s insects, spiders, and kin.

When the pandemic year forced photographer Joel Sartore to stay home in Nebraska instead of traveling to zoos and wildlife centers around the world, what did he do? He went outside and explored bugs. This book reveals more than 100 species of insects, spiders, and related creatures—some exotic, but many common in fields, forests, and neighborhoods. Amazing portraits in Sartore’s signature style—against a black or white background—capture these creatures’ bulbous eyes, probing antennae, and iridescent bodies in living color. Alongside, entertaining text explains the basics of insect bodies, lives, and behavior, rich with unforgettable details. Who knew that a South American butterfly emerges from a chrysalis that glistens like gold? Or that one species of beetle has pincers as long as the rest of its body? Or that wolf spiders can purr?

For budding scientists—and for the kid in all of this—this collection of amazing insect life will intrigue, educate, and amuse all lovers of creepy, crawly creatures everywhere.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Photography, Animals, Science, Art

208 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2023

About the author

From Wikipedia: Joel Sartore (born June 16, 1962, Ponca City, Oklahoma) is an American photographer, speaker, author, teacher, and a 20-year contributor to National Geographic magazine. Sartore grew up in Ralston, Nebraska and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism. His interest in nature started in childhood, when he learned about the very last passenger pigeon from one of his mother's Time-Life picture books. He has since been chased by a wide variety of species including wolves, grizzlies, musk oxen, lions, elephants and polar bears. His first National Geographic assignments introduced him to nature photography, and also allowed him to see human impact on the environment first-hand.

In addition to the work he has done for National Geographic, Joel has contributed to Audubon Magazine, GEO, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and numerous book projects. Joel and his work have been the subjects of several national broadcasts including National Geographic's Explorer, the NBC Nightly News, NPR's Weekend Edition and an hour-long PBS documentary, At Close Range. He is also a contributor on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood. In 2015, he had an appearance in the film Racing Extinction where he photographed the very last Rabb's fringe-limbed treefrog.

Joel Sartore is a founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP).[1] In 2012, Sartore was named a Fellow of the National Geographic Society.

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

TITLE: National Geographic Photo Ark Insects: Butterflies, Bees, and Kindred Creatures
SERIES: The Photo Ark
AUTHOR: Joel Sartore
PUB DATE: 04.04.2023 Now Available

THOUGHTS:

I love looking at beautiful photography and this Photo Ark series of books is simply the best. Joel Sartore captures the details of insects through amazing angles and points of views, way up close in the most delightful details of some of the creepy crawlies or the majestics.

I am completely fascinated and mesmerized by these photographs. I proudly display this book on my coffee table. Certainly a book that can be enjoyed by all at any age.

[Marideth Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book. Really makes you appreciate insects.🦋🐝🐞🐜🦗🦟🪰🪲🕷️

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this gorgeous hardcover and immediately opened it to start reading. It's a book that was created during the pandemic, when the stay-at-home orders prevented the author, Joel Sartore, from traveling for National Geographic, taking pictures of animals in far-off lands. Instead, he started taking photos from his front porch, in front of a white sheet and a light. And these photos are amazing-bright, detailed and intriguing. What an incredible natural world we live in! This book will inspire you to look more closely at butterflies, bees and insects, and take a walk outside. You'll be amazed and inspired by this book! I could stare at it for hours.
I won a free copy on Goodreads.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dal punto di vista estetico, questo volume è un vero capolavoro. Le fotografie di Joel Sartore sono incredibili e riescono a rendere giustizia alla complessità e alla bellezza del mondo degli insetti con una nitidezza fuori dal comune. È il classico libro che fa un figurone su un tavolino in salotto.
Tuttavia, devo ammettere che per chi ha già delle basi di entomologia, il testo risulta un po' troppo elementare. Le informazioni scientifiche sono ridotte all'essenziale e mancano di quell'approfondimento tecnico che un appassionato della materia cercherebbe. È un'ottima porta d'ingresso per i neofiti, ma per chi mastica già concetti di biologia o classificazione, resta un'opera puramente visiva.

[C.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My whole family enjoys this book! The photography is captivating -offering detailed views of the incredible variety and colors of both new and unfamiliar insects. Just as interesting are the facts describing individual insects and their overall impact on each other and the world. More than just a collection of photos, this book's layout includes discussions of not only what an insect is, but also their colors, sounds, life cycles, and intelligence -which I found especially intriguing. This book is a feast for the curious mind.

[Linn Lönn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel levererar igen o igen. Kunglig fotograf, sån detaljnivå.

Rädda insekterna, och plantera mera lokala blommor, eta myror?

Blir så fascinerad av insekter, är så annorlunda än något man ser annars. Kul att de är släkt med kräftor och krabbor har ju alltid tyckt de ser så lika ut! Sån variation och såna sjuka utseenden. Vissa vackra andra ger extrema creepy crawlies. Men alla kan vi mimic o alla har ett syfte hur illa till mods de än gör mig.

Vissa blir jag helt fascinerade av hur dem har utvecklats! Dedär praying mantis som såg ut som orkidéer. Fantastiska!

Kärlek<3

[Kelly Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this beautiful book full of gorgeous photographs of amazing insects. I also loved how this book was developed. The author/photographer works for National Geographic. Stuck at home during the pandemic and feeling depressed, having trouble sleeping, he ventured to the mailbox early one morning and noticed all the insects around his porch light. It inspired him to create the Photo Ark Insects! I learned so much and have a much deeper appreciation for the bugs around me. This book would be great for elementary age kids also. It's very engaging!

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of photographs of insects and other arthropods interspersed with short essays on insect and arthropod features, endangered status, their role in the ecosystem, and what inspired Joel Sartore to branch out to focus on insects for the Photo Ark for a while.

I've always found looking at insects, spiders, etc. close up to be fascinating so I enjoyed this. Sartore's photography is stunning as always.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book full of fascinating facts.

[Awjtf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful photos!

[Audrey Sauble · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. I’ve read a couple of other books in this series and have always enjoyed the focus on information and nature education. Plus, the photos are absolutely amazing.