cover image Bugs by the Numbers

Bugs by the Numbers

Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss. Blue Apple (Chronicle, dist.), $19.99 (56p) ISBN 978-1-60905-061-0

Trading letters for numbers, the creators of Alphabeasties employ a similar format to create silhouette-style portraits of insects, worms, and arachnids using only Arabic numerals. Thus Werner and Forss use 1s, 2s, and 3s, to distinguish between an ant's head, thorax, and abdomen; a mosquito consists of 75s ("They can detect our breath from 75 feet away"); and a group of ladybugs are made up of numerals that correspond to the number of spots on their wings. Add in several liftable flaps and a wealth of facts about the featured species, and this duo has another winner on their hands. Ages 6%E2%80%9312. (May)