Nature All Around: Bugs. Written by Pamela Hickman and illustrated by Carolyn Gavin. Kids Can Press. 2019. $18.99 ages 8 and up

"As the cold weather approaches,
you might start to notice fewer
and less-active bugs. You may
know that many birds migrate, or
fly south, when winter approaches.
But did you know that some insects
migrate, too? Insects migrate for
several reasons: to avoid a cold or
dry season, or to find food or a
mate. In the fall, certain kinds of
dragonflies, moths and beetles
migrate long distances."

If you have questions about insects and you choose to read this book, you will not be sorry. Packed full of brightly colored illustrations and an abundance of charts, it will inform children with carefully chosen text and a brilliant design. We do indeed have bugs all around us. Any visit to the natural world outside the cozy environs of home is bound to have young readers on the lookout for ants, ladybugs, butterflies ... and so many more.

"There are twice as many insects in the world as
all other kinds of animals combined. Many animals,
such as fish, birds, frogs, turtles and bats, depend on
insects for food. And plants need insects to carry
pollen from one flower to another ... "

Each page turn provides pertinent information concerning the bugs of the world. In carefully constructed pages, the author and illustrator show readers many fascinating facts about them. Two page sections reveal variety in the topics chosen to share: bugs up close teamed with a clear description of true bugs, insect impostors, complete metamorphosis compared to incomplete metamorphosis, a bug's home, bugs in the water. Those are followed by sections concerning bugs in each of the four seasons. There are instructions for becoming a novice bug-watcher, and a list of needed materials to become one. More strange bugs includes quick descriptions and full color sketches of the walking stick, the stink bug, the termite queen, the tiger swallowtail, silverfish and the burying beetle.

The author also includes a list of what children can do to help insects that are endangered, and illustrated instructions for making an insect feeder. That is followed up with a useful glossary and an index to take readers back to those pages that hold the most interest for them.

It's a terrific addition to the Nature All Around series which began last year with an equally wonderful book about trees.