Bright Beetle [Hardcover]

Rick Chrustowski (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Follow the life of one ladybug as she journeys from the egg to adulthood.

On a warm, sunny day at the end of summer, a ladybug lays her yellow eggs on a leaf. Soon, each egg hatches into a tiny larva with a huge appetite for aphids. Despite the dangers of ants and praying mantises, the larvae grow big enough to create hard pupae around themselves. When they break through the pupae, they are ladybugs at last.

In simple, poetic text and vibrant illustrations, this nonfiction picture book explores the life-cycle of the most beloved beetle.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-Colorful, eye-catching illustrations and a storylike text result in an exciting introduction to the life cycle of a ladybug. This readable story follows a female ladybug from late summer when she hatches from an egg to the cool autumn day when she climbs inside a rotting tree branch to hibernate. "Deep inside the log, the ladybug rests quietly and waits for spring to come. When the warm sun melts the snow [she] will lay her eggs-and a new generation of beetles will brighten the meadow." The carefully chosen vocabulary, short sentences, and prose style of the text will grab the attention of young listeners as surely as the bold, flashy colors and minute detail of the close-up graphics. Chrustowski credits Heiderose and Andreas Fischer-Nagel's Life of the Ladybug (Carolrhoda, 1981; o.p.) and Sylvia A. Johnson's Ladybug (Lerner, 1983) for the book's factual information, from which he has managed to create this simplified story without humanizing the small beetle or losing any important facts. His use of layers of colored pencil over a watercolor wash has resulted in sharp, bright colors and clear contrast that allow readers to see the larger-than-life world from the ladybug's point of view. A page of further information is appended. A fine addition to insect collections.
Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Rick Chrustowski grew up in Indiana and graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He loves to draw from nature, and spent lots of time studying ladybugs in the meadow near his farm in River Falls, Wisconsin while he was creating the illustrations for Bright Beetle. He even bought some praying mantis eggs and hatched them in his garden. Bright Beetle is his first picture book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1st edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805060588
• ISBN-13: 978-0805060584
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,549,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bright Beetle, July 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bright Beetle (Hardcover)

A factual description of a lady bug's life cycle suitable for children 6 and older. Bright, striking illustrations make this book fascinating even to toddlers. The three adults in the room were as captivated as the children!