ALA Booklist

%% This is a multi-book review. SEE the title Elevator Magic for next imprint and review text. %% (Reviewed October 1, 1997)

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Eighteen double-page spreads help readers explore what makes an insect an insect. Body parts such as exoskeletons and spiracles are described in kid-friendly scientific language. Survival strategies from camouflage to "weaponry" are also covered. Large, bright, zoomed-in photos let readers see the creatures in uncommonly close detail. "Buggy Bit" text bubbles offer unusual facts ("grasshopper songs have different beats"). Glos., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Playing with numbers--that's what this book from Murphy (The Best Vacation Ever, 1997, etc.) is all about. Part of the MathStart series, this entry introduces the art of estimation. Two boys are engaged in the project, one estimating, the other counting. Their ultimate goal is to try to figure out how many jelly beans are in a big glass jar and win tickets to a sporting event, but the storyline bows deeply to the emphasis on estimation as a process. As the boys head downtown to the toy store and the jelly beans, they estimate the number of people on the bus, the numbers of cars in a traffic jam, the total prices of goods in a window, all the while demonstrating both rounding off and how to count a small number and apply that to the great, uncounted whole through the use of multiplication, fractions, and simple geometry. Murphy's success is in beveling the sharp, unforgiving reputation of math and in showing how numbers can be toyed with. Readers may come away with the sense that they are not slaves to numbers--it's the other way around.</p>

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1--A parade of bugs introduces size relationships in this playful approach to beginning math concepts. Comparisons of big (bigger, biggest) small (smaller, smallest), and long and short are presented by an assortment of cheery insects marching through a colorful environment of flowers and grass. Some of the insects, such as a ladybug, are easily identifiable, while others are more fanciful. A spacious format with large print and brief text gives Keller's expressive creatures lots of space to enliven the concepts. A double-page section of suggested activities for adults to share with children is included. Early childhood teachers and parents will all find this a useful book, and youngsters will be attracted to the lively illustrations. A good choice to pair with Bruce McMillan's Super, Super, Superwords (Lothrop, 1989).--Diane Nunn, Richard E. Byrd Elementary School, Glen Rock, NJ