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害羞的甲蟲
The award-winning duo of Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long team up again, this time creating a gorgeous look at the fascinating world of beetles. From flea beetles to bombardier beetles, an incredible variety of these beloved bugs are showcased here in all their splendor. Poetic in voice and elegant in design, this carefully researched and visually striking book is perfect for sparking children's imaginations in both classroom reading circles and home libraries.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2016
About the author
Dianna Hutts Aston
21 books127 followersDianna Hutts Aston was born in Houston, Texas, attended the University of Houston, and worked as a journalist for several years. LOONY LITTLE is her first picture book with Candlewick Press. She says, "It was one of the hottest summer days on record. My mind, of its own accord, kept wandering northward, to a wilderness of snow and ice, the Arctic. While listening to the news one evening, I heard Peter Jennings say, ‘The polar icecap is melting - or is it?’ In my mind, I heard, ‘The sky is falling!’ The whole concept for LOONY LITTLE literally fell from the sky and into my mind." Dianna Hutts Aston lives in central Texas with her husband and two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
August 21, 2016
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 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.
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 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.
April 27, 2017
3.5 stars rounded up. The cover is beautiful. Beetles are amazing and this is a really good book for children interested in the natural world. I felt there could have been more pages, more information and certainly more beetles. Although the beetle illustrations are good, if you look at a beetle that has blue on it's body you will find that every other beetle with blue has exactly the same blue. The same goes for other colours,I think the illustrations could have been improved with a little more attention to detail, some inaccuracies with plant life too. But still a very nice book with some interesting facts.
May 7, 2016
Bug books are not my usual reading fodder, however, the cover is so luscious I just had to check it out! Lyrical writing & exquisite illustrations make this book a joy to read.
August 16, 2018
One of the most beautifully illustrated kids' books I've ever seen, AND, pretty much everything you'd ever want to know about beetles.
July 3, 2021
As with the other books in the series, the artwork is absolutely gorgeous and I like how it made me appreciate the subtle details of these amazing creatures. My five-year-old really enjoyed looking at this. He is very artistic and the illustrations captivated him. The text is pleasant and informative, though I do wish there was a Bibliography, at least.
July 30, 2018
A Beatle is Shy
I know I would have loved this as a youthful insect fan. Even those who may not be so sure about bugs may think twice after seeing the incredible colors and diversity of the beetle world. This book is a lot of fun and imparts a sense of wonder about even the smallest aspects of the natural world.
January 19, 2023
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.
April 20, 2016
This one earns a 4.5 from me. In their sixth outing together, this creative team explores a most unlikely topic for a picture book--beetles. But as it turns out, beetles have many characteristics and behaviors that make them interesting, including their extraordinary colors and infinite varieties. The book follows a similar pattern to the earlier nature-themed books, starting with a beetle being shy, covering several aspects of beetles, and then returning to its shyness and the opposite--being bold. The engaging, pitch-perfect text is perfectly complemented with extraordinarily detailed watercolor illustrations that put readers smack dab into the world of these fascinating creatures. Thus, readers learn that beetles are sometime shy but sometimes bold and that they are sometimes quite large but also quite minuscule. Additionally, they can sometimes be quite helpful, but on the other hand, they can do great harm to crops. There are even snippets about countries where someone might be able to dine on beetles, a nugget that will intrigue elementary and intermediate grade readers. I loved the illustration showing the North American Featherwing Beetle next to a needle and thread, a wonderful visual perspective on its size. Readers won't want to miss the inside end papers and a chance to count the beetles--there are 28 of them--that fill the pages in splendid jewel tones that highlight how very different these creatures are. If you haven't realized it yet, this is simply a must-have for a science classroom library since it provides an excellent introduction to the topic. The only drawback here is the lack of references or additional resources for curious learners. For someone who thinks only fiction makes for a good read aloud or one shared one on one, this one puts the lie to that notion. It will keep listeners intrigued and asking for those pages to be turned quickly and lingered over at other points. But it also is compelling reading for someone who enjoys reading alone and then sharing his/her gleanings excitedly with others. Books such as this one make me want to haul out all the adjectives that I can as I gush in delight at this exploration of beetles, a depiction that makes them almost seem as though they belong in a jewelry box somewhere on someone's lapel. They are that colorful. But since we want to leave nature unspoiled, let's leave them where they belong--in their natural habitats.
April 17, 2016
Here is another gorgeous poetic science picture book by Aston and Long. Like the others, the latest addition focuses on one subject and provides lyrical tidbits of information on beautifully illustrated double spread pages. This time the subject is the beetle and the trivia is fascinating and provides young readers with a broad introduction to the characteristics and behaviors of various types of beetles. The only drawback is that there is no resource list or bibliography.
April 10, 2016
I love Sylvia Long's illustrations and the books in this series have exquisite, colorful depictions of the natural world. My daughter's Mother Goose book was illustrated by Sylvia Long and it is so pleasant to progress with her as she creates works of art for older children and adults as well. Just lovely.
June 8, 2016
An informational book about beetles that is structured in an unusual way with beautiful thoughtful writing and stunning watercolor illustrations. A book to spend time with!
May 4, 2023
I had recently come across another book by this author, ( the one on butterflies) and it was so incredible that I had to check all her similar books out of the library.
April 10, 2024
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 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.
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.
July 5, 2017
This is one series that had my attention caught since of its descriptive title. Each book's title within the series gives the reader a chance to know what is being explored within the pages of the actual book while also providing the format of the book's writing, which is the "is ...".
Furthermore each book in the series can also be read in two different formats thus allowing the reading audience to be broadened out. If you have very young readers or those who cannot sit still long enough for a book whether it is since of too much information or just length than you can read the descriptive for each page while avoiding all the smaller more emphasized information that is given for the page. And for those who are interested or can keep their attention focused than the whole page can be read and explored.
The illustrations are bright and colorful but doesn't distract at all from the information provided. Instead each illustration is given in the right detail while the species name is provided so you aren't sitting there trying to figure out which one of the millions you are looking at. This same thought and consideration is included on the front and back pages where in the case of the former and the butterfly book you were given a chance to see the caterpillar than on the back pages were the evolved butterflies.
This was truly a great idea for writing a nonfiction novel that allows children a chance to explore such big subjects while without being too overwhelming.
Furthermore each book in the series can also be read in two different formats thus allowing the reading audience to be broadened out. If you have very young readers or those who cannot sit still long enough for a book whether it is since of too much information or just length than you can read the descriptive for each page while avoiding all the smaller more emphasized information that is given for the page. And for those who are interested or can keep their attention focused than the whole page can be read and explored.
The illustrations are bright and colorful but doesn't distract at all from the information provided. Instead each illustration is given in the right detail while the species name is provided so you aren't sitting there trying to figure out which one of the millions you are looking at. This same thought and consideration is included on the front and back pages where in the case of the former and the butterfly book you were given a chance to see the caterpillar than on the back pages were the evolved butterflies.
This was truly a great idea for writing a nonfiction novel that allows children a chance to explore such big subjects while without being too overwhelming.
July 21, 2017
Categories/Genre: Informational, Non-fiction, Picture book
Copyright Date: 2016
Estimate grade level of interest: K-3
Estimate of reading level: 5th grade
Brief Description: The book describes the wonderful and intriguing attributes of many types of beetles.
A Beetle is Shy is an informational picture book intended for young children. It provides basic but interesting information about various types of beetles with beautiful colorful illustrations and diagrams to support the text. The information is well organized with the focus on one or two characteristics of beetles per page. The author describes beetles in a way children can relate to: "others glide like sailboats atop ponds and lakes, or speed ... as if they were skating". The book is not a definitive guide to beetles like a field guide might be, but it does present enough information so as to be interesting and informative for its audience.
The book serves its intended audience well. The text is written in accessible language and in a way that will be interesting to young children, telling facts like how high a beetle can jump or how fast a beetle can run, or what colors beetles can have and who likes to eat beetles. The illustrations extend the text by providing a diagram of the life cycle of a beetle or showing beetles of varying colors and sizes. I think young children will want to look closely at the illustrations.
Awards:
Reviews: Booklist, 4/2016; Horn Book Guide, 4/2017; SLJ 5/2016
Copyright Date: 2016
Estimate grade level of interest: K-3
Estimate of reading level: 5th grade
Brief Description: The book describes the wonderful and intriguing attributes of many types of beetles.
A Beetle is Shy is an informational picture book intended for young children. It provides basic but interesting information about various types of beetles with beautiful colorful illustrations and diagrams to support the text. The information is well organized with the focus on one or two characteristics of beetles per page. The author describes beetles in a way children can relate to: "others glide like sailboats atop ponds and lakes, or speed ... as if they were skating". The book is not a definitive guide to beetles like a field guide might be, but it does present enough information so as to be interesting and informative for its audience.
The book serves its intended audience well. The text is written in accessible language and in a way that will be interesting to young children, telling facts like how high a beetle can jump or how fast a beetle can run, or what colors beetles can have and who likes to eat beetles. The illustrations extend the text by providing a diagram of the life cycle of a beetle or showing beetles of varying colors and sizes. I think young children will want to look closely at the illustrations.
Awards:
Reviews: Booklist, 4/2016; Horn Book Guide, 4/2017; SLJ 5/2016
May 9, 2023
Now available in paperback, kids can learn all about the life of a beetle. Check the underside of a leaf and you may just find a beetle egg. Quickly it transforms from a larva to a pupa to a beetle. Most beetles are brown or black but some are shimmery and iridescent. Some beetles are large and some are tiny. Would you consider eating a beetle? In some countries, beetles are even eaten regularly by humans.
I had no idea there were so many varieties of beetles. Some dig into the ground while others skitter across the ground, hop, or swim. When I think of beetles, I think of the ladybug that eats aphids to protect our plants but I also think of the boll weevil that is known for destroying the farmers’ crops such as corn, wheat, and cotton.
If anyone can make learning about beetles interesting, it’s Diana Hutts Aston. Long’s illustrations are spectacular and make beetles look like beautiful creatures. Beetles are found on every continent except Antarctica. The end of the book shows illustrations of nearly 30 beetles. This summer would be the perfect time to explore your yard and gardens for beetles and other unique insects.
I had no idea there were so many varieties of beetles. Some dig into the ground while others skitter across the ground, hop, or swim. When I think of beetles, I think of the ladybug that eats aphids to protect our plants but I also think of the boll weevil that is known for destroying the farmers’ crops such as corn, wheat, and cotton.
If anyone can make learning about beetles interesting, it’s Diana Hutts Aston. Long’s illustrations are spectacular and make beetles look like beautiful creatures. Beetles are found on every continent except Antarctica. The end of the book shows illustrations of nearly 30 beetles. This summer would be the perfect time to explore your yard and gardens for beetles and other unique insects.
May 11, 2018
Copyright: 2016
Number of Pages: 40
Book Format: hardcover
Reading Level: GR level P
Genre: nonfiction
Lit Requirement: Teachers Choice 2017
Summary:
This book is all about beetles. What different kinds of beetles there are, what they can do, what they look like. Dis you know that some beetles can fly? Me either. Read the book to learn even more about beetles!
Review:
The illustrations in this book are amazing!! There is so much detail that it makes the illustrations come to life. This book is a great informational book for children. I highly recommend using this book in small groups during centers or something. Students can work together to learn about beetles in a more fun way than using a text book.
Number of Pages: 40
Book Format: hardcover
Reading Level: GR level P
Genre: nonfiction
Lit Requirement: Teachers Choice 2017
Summary:
This book is all about beetles. What different kinds of beetles there are, what they can do, what they look like. Dis you know that some beetles can fly? Me either. Read the book to learn even more about beetles!
Review:
The illustrations in this book are amazing!! There is so much detail that it makes the illustrations come to life. This book is a great informational book for children. I highly recommend using this book in small groups during centers or something. Students can work together to learn about beetles in a more fun way than using a text book.
Read
June 30, 2021No glossary, which adds to the usefulness of a beetle catalog. I have some questions - why is a beetle larva stage called "instar"? Not a term I know, I doubt a child would either. But again, no glossary. Also, with a young audience, it's nice to have a pronunciation guide. Difficult words like "kaleidoscopic" and "iridescent". For the most part, the book is focused on images, which are indeed beautiful. After all, beetles are beautiful. And there are many interesting facts about dozens of beetle species. Other things that bothered me: it tells the reader they are insects, but doesn't explain why. So this really serves as a visual celebration of beetles suitable for young readers looking for images to please them. But the text? Meh.
December 15, 2017
Dianna Aston shares a collection of the different types of beetles from large to small beetles to beetles around the world. She explains how a beetle is born and grows and how there are many different types, all with copious use of various adjectives and repetition of "a beetle is..." I never thought that I would enjoy reading a book about beetles or that there could be so much variety but there is in this very colorful and informative book. One of my favorite pages to look at is the colorful display of different types of beetles on first and last pages. Lovely book.
November 19, 2018
Colourful and full of facts.
This book tells you loads of great facts about beetles,like the titan beetle is seven inches long.
It’s a beautifully illustrated non fiction picture book. Aimed to young readers but apeals to all ages.
I think readers would like it because there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from it. I enjoined it because it surprised me with some of the facts. It made me think about the wide variety of beetles.
A great book for all insect lovers.
This book tells you loads of great facts about beetles,like the titan beetle is seven inches long.
It’s a beautifully illustrated non fiction picture book. Aimed to young readers but apeals to all ages.
I think readers would like it because there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from it. I enjoined it because it surprised me with some of the facts. It made me think about the wide variety of beetles.
A great book for all insect lovers.
November 30, 2019
A Beetle Is Shy is a beautifully written and illustrated book all about beetles. It is formatted and even written like a book of fiction and/or poetry. It showcases beetles from around the world from Australia to Vietnam. The book gives detailed information about a variety of beetles and brings them to life by highlighting their characteristics with bold adjectives. The creative use of adjectives not only describes their characteristics, but gives each beetle personality.
This is an informational text that could be used kindergarten through 5th grade. This would be a great book to use with the first grade organism curriculum. Beetles are the most diverse group of organisms on Earth. I see this book being used to inspire students to try and present information in a colorful and artistic way. This book has vivid illustrations of the life cycle of a beetle which students could reference in order to create their own life cycle of a beetle or a different organism.
This is a WOW book for me because of the creative presentation of information. I love that it doesn't fit the mold of a typical non-fiction book. The majority of non-fiction texts contain real photographs of the information that is presented. Instead of using photographs, this book uses lifelike illustrations to detail all the intricacies of each beetle. One page describes the beetle as a kaleidoscope and is filled with an explosion of color and detail with several different kinds of beetles displayed. I never knew beetles could be so beautiful!
This is an informational text that could be used kindergarten through 5th grade. This would be a great book to use with the first grade organism curriculum. Beetles are the most diverse group of organisms on Earth. I see this book being used to inspire students to try and present information in a colorful and artistic way. This book has vivid illustrations of the life cycle of a beetle which students could reference in order to create their own life cycle of a beetle or a different organism.
This is a WOW book for me because of the creative presentation of information. I love that it doesn't fit the mold of a typical non-fiction book. The majority of non-fiction texts contain real photographs of the information that is presented. Instead of using photographs, this book uses lifelike illustrations to detail all the intricacies of each beetle. One page describes the beetle as a kaleidoscope and is filled with an explosion of color and detail with several different kinds of beetles displayed. I never knew beetles could be so beautiful!
June 12, 2026
Insects are among the most numerous creatures on Earth. Half of all insects are beetles. They range in size from under a quarter inch to six inches. They are found everywhere except Antarctica. The range of colors and body designs is huge. And this book shows the diversity.
Every page has many life like illustrations of beetles and their habitats. The beetles have their names along side them. This is a richly illustrated and informative book.
Every page has many life like illustrations of beetles and their habitats. The beetles have their names along side them. This is a richly illustrated and informative book.
June 24, 2017
The illustrations are the best part of this book. Gorgeous, colorful, beautiful layouts. Beetles are not my favorite topic in the world, but this book is going to be a hit with kids who are fascinated by them. I love the page that says “Beetles are tasty.” I like the way the language flows, so maybe I’ll check out other books by this duo that are on topics more interesting to me.
March 7, 2018
A Beetle is Shy is an information picture story that tells us about some of the different types of beetles. This story is an excellent way to learn and teach about beetles as it uses its vibrant and detailed visuals to show the different qualities each beetle has. Readers, especially children, would enjoy seeing the colorful pictures as well as be able to learn
March 23, 2018
This book would work well with other books about insects. In a fun way, this book talks about different types of beetles and gives great illustrations with them.
It would be fun to have kids think about the type of beetles that they have seen, talk about the ones that they like, draw pictures of the bugs that they have seen, and talk about the life cycle.
It would be fun to have kids think about the type of beetles that they have seen, talk about the ones that they like, draw pictures of the bugs that they have seen, and talk about the life cycle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2018
The illustrations and the choice of colors used in this book are very beautiful. This would be a great book to use in the classroom when learning about different types of insects/bugs. There are different characteristics presented in the book about beetles. In this book, you learn how each beetle is different and the different qualities each one has.
April 27, 2018
Beautiful art and educational text. I apparently had no idea how many kinds of beetles exist. Language has poetic feel, an inviting approach for a reader like me who is less excited about dry nonfiction. My kids would have liked it either way. Right now they are looking for beetles in the yard as I type.
October 20, 2018
This book was very informational. It provided many facts about beetles that I was unaware of. I like how this picture book included some scientific terms and explained them in a way that children can easily understand. The information is provided with lots of colorful pictures that help explain the topics. I think this book would be a great addition to my future classroom!
October 28, 2018
A beetle is shy is an informative nonfiction book on beetles. In the book, there are bright colors and labels to show what type beetles there are. The development and life of a beetle are shown in a creative way making it interesting for children. The story has an easy flow and provides different facts for a student to learn from the story.
November 5, 2018
What a beautiful book of information on the beetle! I learned a lot from reading it. The illustrations are excellent, colorful and creatively positioned. It appears these insects have taken over the book, crawling everywhere! I loved it! I will definitely purchase the rest of her series. Highly recommended for Grades 2-5 and teachers could read aloud to first grade, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews