"But Grandma shook her head.
"Their bodies aren't ready yet.
First, they must climb to safety."
Annie groaned. More waiting.
Maybe she should just forget
about the cicadas' songs.
There were plenty of other
creatures to observe."
The front endpapers show that we are about to meet a naturalist. Journal pages, sketches, art materials and a mini-magnifier are spread out on a patch of grass. A turn of the page lets readers know that it all belongs to Annie. The title page shows a close-up look at a cicada.
Annie is an explorer, always on the lookout for something in nature of interest to her. Her backyard is alive with critters to capture her attention. While outside with her great-grandmother, Annie notices a lot of holes in the ground. Her grandparent explains they are made by cicadas; those cicadas have been waiting for seventeen years to come out and sing together.
Annie wants to follow her ants, but she wants more to wait to hear the cicada's song. It will take a lot of waiting. On walks with family, Annie notices changes in the ground. One night her grandmother gets her up to take her ourside to watch that ground 'come to life' with the emergence of hundreds of cicadas.
"Would cicadas whine like mosquitoes?
Buzz like bees?
Or maybe call out their names like katydids?"
The family continues to follow the lives of these remarkable insects as they burst forth from their husk and sprout wings, and finally begin singing. Not everyone loves their song; Annie is captivated by its magic. When the singing stops, Annie sees the empty shells and lifeless insects scattered around her. Her family reminds her that they will be back, just as they have come back for her great-grandmother, her grandmother, and her mother. It will take another seventeen years.
Basic facts about the life cycle of the periodical cicada are presented in easy-going text. Ms. Whang's winning illustrations show the generations in flashback images as each shares their cicada memories from childhood. The wonders of nature are evident on every spread, and the warmth of the family experiences remind readers that some things are worth the wait. Helpful back matter invites readers to learn more about cicadas, and offers a timeline of the insect's life.
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