Starred Review In the same (but never boring) vein as Nic Bishop Frogs (2008) and the Sibert Honor Book Nic Bishop Spiders (2007), this large-format book offers stunning color photos supported by an unusually engaging text. Beginning with the distinctions between butterflies and moths, Bishop goes on to discuss the insects' habits, habitats, life cycles, senses, and defenses against predators. The book's simple design showcases the excellent photos and the often-amazing bits of information that accompany them. A typical spread includes a full-page or double-page photo with a couple paragraphs of informative text as well as a caption that comments on the picture, identifies the species shown, and ends with the image's magnification (i.e., "shown at 5 times actual size"). The many dramatic photos include one of a praying mantis devouring a moth, another of two swallowtail butterflies mating, and another of a rain forest caterpillar camouflaging itself as a poisonous snake by puffing up its front end and displaying normally hidden markings that imitate menacing reptilian eyes. Appended are a brief glossary and a two-page illustrated author's note in which Bishop shares some of his experiences, from the amusing to the dramatic, while photographing butterflies and moths. This excellent book provides an eye-opening introduction to a seemingly familiar subject.

Gr 2-5 "There is no mistaking a butterfly," begins this striking, beautifully crafted exploration of these intriguing winged insects and their "more secretive" brethren. There's also no mistaking the loving care with which this book was made, setting gorgeous photographs against jewel-toned pages, with fascinating, meticulously captioned close-ups and new angles on a familiar subject (such as spectacular fold-out pages showing the mechanics of a butterfly's flight through a seamless series of photos). Bishop has received much well-deserved acclaim for his stunning photographs, but his text, too, stands out, with information-packed prose that shimmers like butterfly wings, capturing the sense of wonder that infuses his photographs. That passion also shines through in an afterword in which he shares the story of how he took the pictures (including a years-in-the-making mad dash to Costa Rica to photograph a caterpillar that can puff its body up to look like a poisonous snake before turning into a pupa). This book is an example of the very best kind of nonfictionthe kind that inspires as well as informs. Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD

Through wry narration, readers hear gopher snake Crusher's view of "lower life form" Gunnar (the kid who catches her) and his puzzling world. Crusher's adventures and her gradual development of compassion for mouse Breakfast (and even for Gunnar) work with Jennings's satire on American life to give this story terrific child appeal but also a lot of room for discussion.