Bugs

October 15, 2020
Preschool-K Little kids are endlessly curious about the world, and the Be an Expert series (6 new titles) offers basic information and vocabulary on a wide range of interesting subjects. The books have a welcoming, cartoonish feel, as their prominent illustrations splash bright colors across two-page spreads and offer collaged scenes that combine digital art and photographs. The subject-specific volumes break their content down into eight examples, most of which children will easily recognize. For instance, Bugs includes fireflies and beetles, as well as ants in their underground tunnels. The objective of these books is to help young readers identify animals or objects and build their vocabularies rather than to learn details about the subjects. To this end, some spreads zoom in and ask readers to find elements in the large picture (e.g., a bee's stinger), while others feature an expert Q&A or fast fact. An identification quiz wraps up each book, whose back matter also includes a labeled photo of Expert Gear. Easy and engaging nonfiction for preschoolers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)