Bug Faces

The photos are just gorgeous and the text complements it compactly. It's one thing to read in your typical bug book (we have many) that a butterfly sucks nectar from a flower. It's another matter entirely to see this WAY up close. My four-year-old and I love it.

"Bug Faces," by Darlyne A. Murawski, is a collection of extreme close-up photographs of the "faces" of insects and other arthropods. The photos are accompanied by interesting facts about each creature. Much of the educational data focuses on the facial features being pictured; for example, the author explains why different species use different kinds of mouths to eat particular types of food.The photographs are stunning. These creatures are shown much larger than life size, and the photographs capture a wealth of details. These portraits capture a glorious diversity of colors and textures. Species pictured include the dragonfly, the daddy-longlegs, the bumblebee, the cicada, and the grasshopper. There is even a section on the "false faces" used by some creatures in order to fool would-be predators. This is an excellent educational book for children; it would also make a fun "coffee table" book for adults.

You may be saying to yourself, "Why would I want to look at bug faces?" But you haven't seen THESE bug faces. Beautiful photography vies with clever writing to produce a delightful book. Even if you don't have youngsters, this would be great on a coffee table.Bryn Brody