Insects: Biggest! Littlest!

by Sandra Markle, Simon Pollard (Photographer)

Bugs that make kids say "Wow!" Here are twenty-one sex-legged wonders from around the world—from the 22-inch-long Giant Stick Insect of Borneo to North America's Western Pygmy Blue Butterfly, with a wingspan of just a half inch. Huge mandibles, tiny bumps, and other amazing adaptations—big and little—enable each kind of insect to find food, avoid enemies, or fight for mates. Sandra Markle and Simon Pollard follow their successful Biggest! Littlest! with a new feast for young scientific minds. The simple text and captivating full-color photographs offer new insights into the amazing survival skills of the world's most fascinating creatures.

Genres: Childrens, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2009

About the author

Sandra Markle is the author of more than two hundred children's books, which have won numerous awards, including Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book, IRA/CBC Children's Choice, NSTA/CBC Outstanding Trade Books for Children, NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended, and ALA Notable Books for Children. She lives in Lakewood Ranch, Florida and frequently travels to schools sharing her program "Sandra Markle's Books Are REAL Adventures."

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent non-fiction about insects for preschoolers and Kindergarteners.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are plenty of interesting insect trivia in this book, and cool close-ups of animals, but it makes it hard to think about how size matters when all the photos are the same size. For example, the 30 cm birdwing butterfly looks just as small (or big) as the 12 mm western pygmy blue butterfly since each gets a full-page photo!

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
all bugs look the same size
kids were a bit disappointed

[Leyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was nice, especially for the comparisons we were able to make and the details we learned. This was the last book of our "insect research".

[Beth Thames]

A ruler by the book is a necessity when reading. Kids love bugs and this won't dissapoint.