Becoming a Beetle

February 15, 2019
Grades K-2 How do you feel about enlarged pictures of insects at various stages of development? That will largely determine how you feel about these new books in the Changing Animals series (6 new titles). Each book details four to six stages in the creature's development in a clear and simple manner, using basic scientific terms. The different stages are presented over a series of double-page spreads dominated by large photos of the animals, with a few lines of text appearing against a swath of white. With only a few exceptions, the photos show highly magnified close-ups of the subject. Despite the potential ick factor, many young readers will be fascinated. The high level of detail in the photos in Becoming a Beetle emphasizes the beetle's development in a hard case before its final molt. These series entries offer a uniquely close look at various insect and fish life cycles.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)