Bonkers About Beetles

Davey offers a fact-filled, strikingly illustrated introduction to beetles (an addition to the About Animals series). Working in a dramatic graphic style, Davey renders the beetle subjects with crisp, geometric precision, while representing the exquisite range of colors and patterns to be found among the roughly 400,000 known species. Sections with playful headings (such as “Born This Way”) explore topics including beetle life cycles and metamorphosis, while infographics convey details about beetle anatomy, biology, and behavior: one chart demonstrates fireflies’ flight and flash patterns. Elsewhere, images focus on the beauty and ecological resilience of particular species: a longhorn beetle shows how its blotchy black, gold, and orange markings allow it to camouflage itself against tree bark. Davey offers a dazzling exploration of some of Earth’s most diverse, ubiquitous—not to mention, kaleidoscopic—insects. Ages 5–9. (June)