A Beetle Is Shy

Beetles, those little winged creatures who, with their approximately 400,000 known species, make up 40% of insects worldwide, and 25% of all known animal species, are the subject of this lovely picture book from Diana Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, the author/illustrator team responsible for such titles as An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, A Butterfly Is Patient, A Rock Is Lively, and A Nest Is Noisy. As with those earlier books, here there is a dual format, with a poetic macro-narrative that gives general, descriptive information—"A beetle is shy. A beetle is kaleidoscopic. A beetle is colossal... or microscopic"—and a micro-narrative that imparts more details. Topics touched upon include the beetle's life genesis from egg to show more fully-formed insect, the varying sizes of beetles, where in the world they can be found (all over!), their activities, forms of self-defense, and lots more...

As with its predecessors, I greatly enjoyed A Beetle Is Shy, appreciating its dual narrative approach, which I think makes the subject accessible to children at a variety of stages, drawing them in with the more poetic narrative and then giving them more information. As always with this series of books, I also loved the accompanying watercolor artwork, with its beautifully vivid color palette, and its many charming little details. The decorative first and last pages here (not the endpapers, which might be covered up by taped-down dust-jackets in library copies) were as lovely as ever, depicting a variety of beetle species. All that being said, I couldn't help but feel, as I finished the book, that it didn't quite live up to some of the earlier books from this team. It's somewhat shorter, and seems to cover less. It also struck me that some of the information one discovers later on in the book, such as what makes a beetle a beetle, distinguishing it from other kind of insects, might have been better placed toward the beginning of the book. Leaving that aside, this is still a beautiful and engaging book, one which could introduce young children to the wonders of the world's coleopteran species. It is for that purpose that I would recommend it, perhaps to be followed up by a title giving a more specific and comprehensive treatment to the topic. show less

Excuse the gushing... I'm a fan of this book. Serious edu-tainment.

Teachers, Home Schoolers, and moms/dads/aunties of bug loving kids, get this book. It's gorgeous and educational.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love books that not only entertain but educate. Aston and Long's book does this. With bright, intense colors and intriguing close-ups they catch the eye which makes it easier to learn.

A beetle is shy.

It begins its life inside an egg . . .
soft and wingless, tender,
protected by the roots of trees
and the undersides of leaves.

From there they cover the life cycles of beetles, the huge variation there is color and size. Even how beetles are perceived around the world. We don't eat them, but plenty of other people do.

Beetles are show more really fascinating creatures so there is lots to talk about. Some beetles dig and some fly. Some even walk on water. "A beetle is telegraphic" discusses the way beetles communicate. "A beetle is prehistoric" shows them floating in amber.

THOUGHTS
A BEETLE IS SHY is my kind of book. It's a good read-aloud and the images are big enough to share with a group of children.

The images are bold and colorful and I like how the material is covered and how the author has brought in some elements that other books gloss over. In my time I've read a lot of bug books but not all of them discuss 'communication' with scent and light; and most don't mention how bugs can get trapped in sap/amber.

This would be a good book for the home and school shelves and book baskets. RECOMMEND.

~review copy
*note: I don't give star ratings for review copies. It seems better that way. show less

I’ve yet to read A Nest Is Noisy (I expect it to be ready for pick up from the library when I go there this coming Tuesday) but I’ve read and loved 4 other books by this team: A Rock Is Lively, A Seed Is Sleepy, An Egg Is Quiet, and A Butterfly Is Patient.

I’m not wild about most insects and I wasn’t feeling particularly interested in beetles, but I’ve enjoyed other books in this series so much I want to read them all. And actually this probably was my least favorite book in the series so far. (I’m fairly sure that I’ll enjoy the Nest book better than I did this one.) I did learn a lot though and the art and amount of information provided is impressive.

Preschoolers and beginning elementary school students can probably enjoy show more the illustrations and the simple poem and captions, as a read aloud, although the vocabulary used is advanced. Older elementary school students can also enjoy the the much more detailed text information given on most pages of the book.

This book could be great for all genders, approximately ages 5-12, particularly for kids who are fascinated with insects or with nature in general. show less

"Beetles are Shy" but they are so much more! This book explores the wide array of beetles on this planet. Dianna Hutts Aston creates an informative book which is also engaging. Sylvia Long's illustrations keep your eyes flitting from page to page. I loved how the author had large headings above smaller paragraphs of information, this made it easier to gear towards young children and a little bit older children. I will definitely use this books again and hope to read more from Dianna Hutts Aston

A beetle is many things: kaleidoscopic (iridescent), tasty (people eat them around the world), telegraphic (using pheromones or bioluminescence), helpful (like ladybugs that eat aphids) or harmful (like weevils).

Long draws gorgeous, jewel-toned beetles realistically; a few are even drawn exactly life-size (the Titan Beetle, shown next to a ruler, and the North American Featherwing Beetle, which is magnified because it's so small it could fit through the eye of a needle). The rich drawings complement the rich vocabulary in this wonderful, informative book.

See also: Ladybugs by Gail Gibbons, How to Survive as a Firefly by Kristen Foote and Erica Salcedo, A Butterfly is Patient (Hutts/Long)

This is an informative and eye-catching book all about beetles. Everything from lifecycles, habitats, appearances, and more is discussed in this alluring nonfiction text. It is full of information that even someone who doesn’t appreciate bugs can find something that interests them. Although the text is compelling, the illustrations steal the show. They are colorful and beautiful and would surely capture the attention of any child. Truly a fascinating and detailed book about beetles.

Concise and pretty introduction to satisfy me. Not enough different kinds of beetles, not enough to learn that isn't random trivia, no back matter.