When a million bugs come out of the ground at once, children pay attention. Periodical cicadas don’t disappoint. Almost every animal in the area fills its stomach. Then after a month the feast and the cacophony suddenly stops. This book describes one of the oddest insect life cycles on the planet the periodical, or 17-year, cicada. The beautiful photographs and engaging text bring to life every aspect of this insect’s life from a unique view of the eggs inside a twig, to its transformation to the noisiest insect around and its role in the ecosystem. Author Doug Wechsler, once again, brings the natural world in focus for children.
Doug Wechsler takes his inspiration from the jungles, swamps and seashores of the world as well as from his own backyard. By showing the wonders of nature and its humorous side he hopes to motivate his readers to deepen their interest in their natural surroundings. His current projects take him to local parks and Ecuador.
A wildlife biologist and photographer, Doug Wechsler was Director of VIREO (Visual Resources for Ornithology a part of The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. As part of his job running the most comprehensive collection of bird photographs anywhere, he traveled the world to photograph birds. He has participated in expeditions to Borneo, Ecuador, Cuba, Panama, Cameroon, Alaska, and the Philippines.
His most recent books include: Blowholes, Book Gills and Butt-breathers, The Cicadas Are Coming!, The Hidden Life of a Toad, Marvels in the Muck: Life in the Salt Marshes and Frog Heaven.
Not only cicada fans will enjoy this lovely book because the title says it all; the cicadas are coming.
First off, this is an amazingly, illustrated book. The photographs not only are well done, but they are spot on and coincide very nicely with the text. Not only are the cicadas shown in their natural settings with tons of details, but there's even a cross-section of one (which was found dead) to help readers see exactly the parts of the cicadas, which are being explained. I can't imagine a better way to bring across the information visually.
The text fits the age group and is easy to read, while not talking down to the reader. The facts are brought across smoothly and not overly technically. In other words, it doesn't feel too heavy while reading, and the author tries to make it seem as if he's directly explaining it to the reader.
This isn't a book for younger, picture book fans. The book assumes that the reader has a simple knowledge on several aspects of insects, and this might go a bit over some younger reader's heads. The intended age group shouldn't have any troubles with it, though. I see this one not only great for classrooms and homeschooling but also a wonderful read for nonfiction fans to grab up. They'll definitely see cicadas in a different way after reading this one
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed every page.
This is a very informative picture book. Whether you are looking to learn more about cicadas yourself or would like to nurture a little ones curious nature, this book would be great to add to anyone’s collection. Photos are very well done and explained to inform the reader about the entire life cycle of the cicada. My favorite photo was the cross section of the cicada. To date, this is one of my most favorite Kickstarter purchases.
Another great book by Doug Wechsler. His photography is stunning and knowledge of Cicadas top notch. Great for parents, educators and kids. If you’d like to encourage the pursuit of the outdoors in your kids, I recommend this book.