Have You Seen Bugs?

Eye-popping artwork headlines this sensational picture book in praise of insects. Oppenheim's (Have You Seen Birds?) sprightly verse takes an up-close-and-personal view of bugs in all their splendid variety (""Bugs with stripes/ or speckles/ or spots,/ shiny like metal/ or covered in dots""). Meanwhile, Broda's exquisite painted paper sculptures, strategically placed against a series of watercolor backdrops, give the pages depth, texture and a brilliantly surreal flavor. Readers will be craning their necks for a ""how did he do that?"" look at the detail, from the intricate designs of a butterfly's wing to the gleaming metallic back of a beetle. Touching upon caterpillars and crickets, ladybugs and lacewing dragonflies, author and illustrator cover a lot of ground and, thanks to Oppenheim's hardworking verse as well as the careful art, they pack in a surprising amount of information. While this finely wrought book is particularly well suited to the learning style of younger readers, those at the upper end of the target group will no doubt be equally enthralled. Ages 5-8. (May)