God in His wisdom made the fly


And then forgot to tell us why.


~Ogden Nash, “The Fly”

Readers are just “buzzing” about some of the new insect books that are just “flying” off our shelves. While that is a bad pun, the quality of non-fiction books that are being published about this group of arthropods has never been higher. I’d like to share three new science books.

I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas (Henry Holt) shares information about flies in a humorous story told by a fly. The poor insect is tired of the butterfly always being used as the example of insect metamorphosis. He does acknowledge that maggots aren’t as cute and furry as caterpillars. When the children in the class ask the fly questions, he answers them truthfully, even if he doesn’t like to admit that he can spread diseases during his 21 days of life.

A book that is a bit more scientific, yet perfect for elementary school readers is Good Question! How Strong Is an Ant? And Other Questions About…Bugs and Insects by Mary Kay Carson (Sterling). The title of each chapter is a question about the insect world. Can dragonflies see in all directions at the same time? Can butterflies taste with their feet?

One of our most popular new books is Bugs by George McGavin, illustrated by Jim Kay (Candlewick Press). This pop-up book explains insects, spiders, and other creepy-crawlies. The artwork, on the first two-page spread, of the broad-bodied chaser dragonfly, almost flies off the page. The dragonfly is a detailed example of the fact that all insects’ bodies are structured similarly.The author is a professor at Oxford University, and he has traveled to New Guinea, Thailand, and Tanzania for his research.

These three titles should delight any budding young scientist. Oh…and if you visit Philadelphia with your children, you might want to visit Insectarium, Philadelphia’s All-Bug Museum.