Synopses & Reviews
The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) has made news across the United States. These beetles came to America from China, living in wood turned into shipping material. At first the beetles invaded urban areas, where hardwood trees were in limited supplyand#8212;Chicago was able to declare itself ALB-free in 2006. But right now there is bad news in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Torontoand#8212;infestations have erupted in the areaand#8217;s hardwood forests, and these beetles, while bad at flying, are very good at killing trees.
Clint McFarlandand#8217;s job? Stop the ALB at any cost. How do you balance the needs of residents, the impact to the environment, and an invasive species primed to wipe out entire forests? It takes the help of everyday people, such as children playing baseball at a playground, teams of beetle-sniffing dogs, and science-minded people (bug scientists and tree doctors) to eradicate this invasive pest.
Review
"Jenkins' splendid array of beetles will surely produce at least one budding coleopterist...distinguished both as natural history and work of art"--
Kirkus, starred review
"Jenkins brings his signature style to the world of beetles...As always, the design of the book is exemplary."--Horn Book
"A richly varied and visually riveting introduction to beetles, both familiar and strange."--Booklist, starred review
"Jenkins's enthusiasm for his subject shines through in this rich and varied compendium."--School Library Journal, starred review
"Jenkins offers a wealth of information about beetles and presents it impeccably."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"The combination of sophisticated look and highly visual approach makes this accessible to a wide audience, and this is one that'll certainly be picked up immediately if left strategically on a library table."--Bulletin
Review
"The real zoological factsare as thrilling as monster stories....The beautiful cut- and torn-paper collage illustrations are as expertly colored, detailed, and expressive as in the creators' previous titles, and the layout, featuring plenty of white space, nicely spotlights each animal in action....Another stand-out science title from the husband-and-wife team."—Booklist, starred review"These will be an effective way to introduce animal habits and to link them to human behavior, and they may elicit audience interest in further discussion and exploration." —Bulletin
Review
"These will be an effective way to introduce animal habits and to link them to human behavior, and they may elicit audience interest in further discussion and exploration." —Bulletin
Review
* andquot;A splendid example of science controversy in everyday life.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred reviewand#160;
Review
PRAISE FOR BETHANY BARTON: and#160; "Toothy and unkempt, with wild eyes and a temper tantrum of a roarand#8212;'I wanna go camping NOW!'and#8212;Stewart fully embodies a preschooler who has not yet mastered the art of waiting. Bartonand#8217;s sprawling, hand-lettered text and its buoyant placement match the urgency of Stewartand#8217;s desperation." and#8212;
Kirkus review of
This Monster Cannot Wait!
"The sprawling text printed in capital letters emphasizes Stewartand#8217;s impatience, and the quirky ink and Photoshop illustrations add many humorous moments to the story." and#8212;School Library Journal review of This Monster Cannot Wait!
Review
* andquot;A splendid example of science controversy in everyday life.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;Burns delivers a fascinating look at the origins of an invasive species and efforts to combat the damage it causes.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
* andquot;This fascinating, timely book might just change the way readers look at insects and trees for good.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
andquot;The subject and the youth of many of the participants give this title an immediacy unusual even in this excellent series, bridging the gap between scientist and reader in a way that invites kids into the process.andquot;
andmdash;Bulletin
andquot;Clear photographs, charts, diagrams, and a straightforward text with appropriate scientific vocabulary outline the problem, from the beetleandrsquo;s invasion and difficult discovery to the treesandrsquo; destruction and replanting.andquot;
andmdash;Horn Book Magazine
* andquot;Abundant, close-up, color photos of the insect (from egg to pupa to mature adult), damaged trees, onsite workers, and informative labeled diagrams and maps help tell this disquieting story...A timely, well-told story and a call to action.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal, starred review
Review
"As animal fathers have been overshadowed by the numerous books featuring animal mothers, this unique selection helps balance the science shelves for young children." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
* and#8220;Beetles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and Fleming gives an exuberant shout-out to a slew of them in this eye-catching catalogue of backyard nature. . . . Part boisterous read-aloud, part field guide for entomology enthusiasts, this arresting volume has something for everybuggy.and#8221; (starred review)
Review
"Orgill chronicles young Louis' love of music in words that sing. . . . This vibrant portrait of the Jazz great's youth is one children will return to again and again." Publishers Weekly, Starred
"A 'musically charged tale'. . . In tune with the text Jenkins' [illustrations] create a setting that pulses with the sounds of jazz." School Library Journal
Review
"A simple yet extremely clever introduction to animals and the way they respond to water. . . . A delight from start to finish." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Synopsis
Caldecott Honorand#8211;winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins explores form, color, and pattern, and captures the very unique nature of beetles in this brilliantly illustrated picture book.
Synopsis
Beetles squeak and beetles glow. Beetles stink, beetles sprint, beetles walk on water. With legs, antennae, horns, beautiful shells, knobs, and other odditiesand#8212;whatand#8217;s not to like about beetles? The beetle world is vast: one out of every four living things on earth is a beetle. There are over 350,000 different species named so far and scientists suspect there may be as many as a million. From the goliath beetle that weighs one fourth of a pound to the nine inch long titan beetle, award-winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins presents a fascinating array of these intriguing insects and the many amazing adaptations they have made to survive.
Synopsis
Its time to eat! Which animals eat bamboo, can gulp down a whole deer, or swallow rocks to help them eat?
Synopsis
Its time to sleep! Who dozes standing on one leg without falling over, snores while flying, or snuggles together in a big sleepy pile?
Synopsis
Its time for a bath! Find out which animals soak, lick, bake, or spray their dirt away.
Synopsis
A fascinating nonfiction photo essay about the tree-killing Asian long-horned beetle in our very own backyards. Read aboutand#160;how the help of everyday people, their neighborhoods, teams of beetle-sniffing dogs, and a nationwide effort from bug scientists to tree doctors are working to eradicate thisand#160;incredibly invasiveand#160;pest.
Synopsis
The Official Spider Test. What do you do when you see a spider? and#160; a. Lay on a BIG spidey smoocheroo. b. Smile, but back away slowly. c. Grab the closest object, wind up, and let it fly. d. Run away screaming.
and#160; If you chose b, c, or d, then this book is for you! (If you chose a, you might be crazy.)
and#160; Iand#8217;m Trying to Love Spiders will help you see these amazing arachnids in a whole new light, from their awesomely excessive eight eyes, to the seventy-five pounds of bugs a spider can eat in a single year! And youand#8217;re sure to feel better knowing you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than being fatally bit by a spider. Comforting, right? No? Either way, thereand#8217;s heaps more information in here to help you forget your fears . . . or at least laugh a lot!
Synopsis
This whimsical and intriguing picture book explores the different roles of fatherhood in the animal kingdom. Readers will learn about various animal dads and their many different parenting skills: baby-sitting - an emperor penguin dad watches over the eggs for nine weeks while the mother searches for food; hunting - a wolf dad leads the pack on hunting trips and brings meat for new pups to eat; giving birth - a seahorse mother's eggs hatch inside the dad's special belly pouch. Sneed Collard's concise, clear text and award-winning artist Steve Jenkins's informative cut-paper collages reveal unique tasks that animal dads perform in raising their offspring.
Synopsis
A beaver slaps its tail on the water to warn other beavers of approaching danger. A mother bat returning to the cave can locate her baby among two or three million other bats by using a special cry. And the male hippopotamus marks his territory by spinning his tail and scattering his dung.
These are just a few of the unusual ways animals communicate with one another. This beautifully illustrated work by noted author and illustrator Steve Jenkins describes many more fascinating and curious ways of animal communication.
Synopsis
Crawling with beautiful beetles, this is a spectacular celebration of bugs by a Caldecott Honor winner
Synopsis
They crawl up walls, they hide in cracks, they flip, they fly, and sometimes . . . crrrash. Beetles come in all shapes and sizes, and they are everywhere in this thoroughly buggy, beautifully designed book.
There are striped beetles, spotted beetles, all-over-dotted beetles--and don't forget the noisily gnawing beetles! Whether you love bugs or whether the sight of them makes you itch, you'll adore this infested offering from the beloved Denise Fleming.
Synopsis
Roxane Orgill's vivid words and Leonard Jenkins's dramatic pictures combine to tell the story of a boy who grew up to be a giant of jazz - the legendary and beloved Louis Armstrong. As a poor boy in New Orleans, where music was everywhere - dancing out of doorways, singing on streetcorners, crying from the cornet of the great Joe Oliver for all to hear - Louis longed for a horn so that he too could sing, bring home pennies, and, most of all, tap happy-feet blues till the sun rose. It wasn't going to be easy. Many things, not all of them good, had to happen before he got his horn. But when at last he did, he sent music spiraling up into the New Orleans night sky like a spinning top gone crazy.
Synopsis
Elephants swim gracefully underwater and use their trunks like snorkels. Hippos sink to the bottom and go to sleep. Walruses sing as they swim along, and so do whales. Linda Capus Riley has written a lovely - and informative - poem about the ways that sixteen animals behave in water and added notes for those readers who would like to know more about the animals. Steve Jenkins's beautiful and playful cut-paper illustrations capture the diversity of the swimmers.
Synopsis
Explore unusual animal locomotion through incredible art and fascinating facts from the Caldecott Honor-winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.
About the Author
Bethany bARTon was drawing monsters for her other picture books (
This Monster Needs A Haircut,
This Monster Cannot Wait) when a spider crawled across the page and demanded her attention. Since she couldnand#8217;t smash Mr. Spider into her artwork, she decided to try and love him. It wasnand#8217;t easy (RIP Mr. Spider) but in the process, this book was born.and#160;
and#160; When she isnand#8217;t writing or illustrating books about awesome and icky things, Bethany spends her days decorating sets and painting miniatures for film/TV. Bethany lives in Los Angeles with her rad husband, their adorable son, and an outrageous number of garden spiders she wonand#8217;t let anybody smash. (Well... unless theyand#8217;re really big.)