Bugs of Northern California [Paperback]

John Acorn (Author), Ian Sheldon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2002

Television's Nature Nut, John Acorn, teams up with nature illustrator Ian Sheldon to craft a witty and personable book about the myriad insects and arachnids found throughout the diverse habitats of Northern California.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Author John Acorn has written an entertaining text that brings each bug's character to life, while Ian Sheldon's detailed illustrations will help you become a visual expert on bugs. --Bay Nature magazine, San Francisco

Over 120 insects and arachnids are featured in this colorful and fascinating field guide. This is a must read for anyone curious about what that strange insect is, crawling up the wall of the carport at night or nibbling on the roots of its favorite deciduous tree! --Monterey County Post

For those who really want to know what is crawling around the garden, hiding under the house or nesting in the attic, this is a must read. --Mid County Post, Santa Cruz

About the Author

JOHN ACORN is an impassioned and critically acclaimed science educator, well known among the general public as host of television's The Nature Nut, a science education program that has aired on Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and numerous other networks around the world. He has authored many popular books on nature subjects, particularly on his favorite subjects of entomology and paleontology.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lone Pine Publishing (March 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551053209
• ISBN-13: 978-1551053202
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars easy to use and informative, July 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bugs of Northern California (Paperback)

I just got this guide last month. It has bright attractive illustrations and was an immediate hit with my kids and me. We didn't know much to start with, but this guide has a picture index in the front that makes it easy to find the mystery bug. For us, it helps that we don't need to know taxonomy. Because it is region specific, we don't have to waste a lot of time wading through all the bugs we're unlikely to see anyway--I assume this is something like the "top 100" of local bugs, so just about everything I see in the book looks familiar. I also like that the book provides a little narrative about each bug, not just its name, so we feel like we're really learning something. I suspect it's not big enough for all the bugs we'll come across, but so far it is serving us well by wetting our appetite.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Useless, September 3, 2010

By 

Karen S. Rogers (Englewood, CO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bugs of Northern California (Paperback)

This book is far from comprehensive for this geographical area and has NO photos. It seems written by a high schooler and uses alot of editorial comments to make up for lack of facts. I think we used to call it padding. I was hoping for a Peterson-type guide. I returned the book. Nice cover.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for the average "Bugster", August 24, 2008

By 

Hill Happy (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bugs of Northern California (Paperback)

This book is educational, well written and interesting. It provides plenty of information without being wordy or boring. The illustrations are excellent, but photographs would be a nice bonus.