As in their previous About books, this one pairs beautiful, naturalistic paintings with simple, informative statements. A full-page image of moths perched on blades of grass, for example, faces an all-white page with text: Antennae help insects smell and feel. An afterword expands on the concepts introduced in the brief text: next to small reproductions of the paintings, words such as antennae are defined, and a few more facts are given. The final plate, next to a picture of a gorgeous trout leaping for a mayfly, says simply, Insects are an important part of our world, while the appended text reminds readers of foods and products insects provide. In image and text the Sills succeed in conveying a great deal of information at a very basic reading level. Excellent classroom or pleasure reading for science and nature fans and for any beginning readers drawn to nonfiction. (Reviewed February 1, 2000)

A minimal text distills very basic insect facts for young readers. Detailed, full-page color plates feature eighteen different insects in their natural environments, including Dogbane Leaf Beetles, Virginia Ctenuchid Moths, and Gladiator Katydids. Additional information about the illustrated insects is provided in an afterword that seems geared toward older readers.

Gr 1-3-This title offers separate, full-page watercolor paintings of 18 different kinds of insects in their natural habitats. Insects depicted include: silverfish, giant walkingstick, black horse fly, elephant stag beetle, gladiator katydid, honey bee, and luna moth. A single line of large, bold-print text appears on the page opposite each illustration; on the bottom right-hand corner, a caption provides the common name of the species depicted. Each simple sentence or fragment describes either a general characteristic shared by all insects, or a special characteristic of a particular group. Additional bits of general information about insects as well as miscellaneous facts about the featured species are appended. As in About Birds (1991), About Mammals (1997), and About Reptiles (1999, all Peachtree), the realistic watercolor paintings are this book's main focus. They are bright, attractive, and nicely varied in composition. However, despite their visual appeal, the artwork sometimes fails to illustrate the text effectively. For example, the painting of mantis nymphs emerging from an egg case does not match the text, which reads, "Young insects hatch from eggs." As no eggs are visible, this statement is apt to be confusing. Sandra Markle's Creepy, Crawly Baby Bugs (Walker, 1996) provides more detailed information on insect anatomy, reproduction, and behavior and is illustrated with excellent, close-up color photographs.-Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.