The Big Bug Book [Hardcover]

Paul Facklam (Author), Marjorie Facklam (Author), Margery Facklam (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Thirteen of the world's largest insects are described in a conversational, fact-filled text and full-color illustrations that show creepy life-size comparisons to familiar objects. By the author of Partners for Life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-6-Concisely written and well organized, this introduction offers a unique perspective on 13 of the world's largest insects. Illustrated life-size, the bugs are transposed from their natural habitats to a human home. On vivid, double-page spreads, each species is contrasted with common household objects to give readers a frame of reference as to scale. For instance, giant wetapungas (grasshopper relatives from New Zealand) rest on a baseball and bat, birdwing butterflies hover over an opened box of crayons, and a tarantula hawk wasp and its prey (a tarantula) engage in a battle to the death amidst spools of red, blue, and orange thread. A two-page introduction discusses basic insect anatomy and characteristics; thereafter, the text appears on every other page, set in a large, square box with a double border of white and a bold color that complements the paintings. The information given on any one creature is insufficient for reports, and similar material can be found in Seymour Simon's Little Giants (Morrow, 1983), which includes five of the same animals, and Sylvia Johnson's Beetles (1982) and Water Insects (1989, both Lerner). However, The Big Bug Book's unique and strikingly realistic illustrations make it recreational reading par excellence.
Karey Wehner, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6-8. Beginning with an explanation of why "a beetle could never be as big as a bear," Facklam introduces 13 insects of impressive size. Each double-page spread features a realistic, full-size illustration of a bug in a setting that makes its size (but not its habitat) apparent: a walking-stick climbing on Tinker toys, a Goliath beetle crawling across a plate of sandwich cookies, or a great owlet moth flying in front of shirts on hangers in a closet. Alongside the illustration, the text describes some of the features and habits of the bug and alludes to its maximum size. The full-color, airbrushed paintings are quite amazing. Their realistic, close-up views are certain to intrigue young audiences. Carolyn Phelan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company; 1st edition (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316273899
• ISBN-13: 978-0316273893
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,332,720 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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