As the weather warms and your family heads outside, you're bound to observe lots of little critters crawling and flying. Capture your children's fascination of those discoveries with this list of books about insects.
1. Your kids will follow the day in the life of a praying mantis in My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis by Paul Meisel. The story is told from the perspective of the praying mantis, which adds a unique touch to the book.
2. A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston takes a close look at the stages of life as a butterfly develops. Your kids will enjoy learning the names of many different kinds of butterflies by studying the beautiful illustrations.
3. Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup takes your little ones on a flight with a bee as they learn about the importance of this insect to the environment. The pages have cut-out sections allowing readers to see through to other pages in the book.
4. Flies can be pesky, but they are pretty adorable in the silly Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin. Your kids will relate to Fly's nervousness about the first day of school. Fly learns a lot and so will your kids.
5. Are You a Dragonfly? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries gives young readers an introduction into the world of dragonflies. Your kids will be fascinated to learn that dragonflies have a mask that covers half of their face in order to help them catch their prey.
6. Your family is probably familiar with The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. But, have you enjoyed Carle's The Very Clumsy Click Beetle? A click beetle falls on its back and seeks the help of a wise old beetle to learn how to click and flip.
7. You're bound to see at least one ant during any outside adventure. The Life and Times of an Ant by Charles Micucci is great for any reader who wants to learn everything there is to know about ants. The book is jam-packed with information about this busy insect.
8. Finally, add a little poetry into your reading time with Cricket in the Thicket: Poems About Bugs by Carol Murray. Your kids will pick up lots of fun facts about insects in each poem. Did you know that cicadas spend up to 17 years underground growing into an adult?
Enjoy the outdoors with your family observing insects in their environment. Then, grab a stack of the books on this list and continue your learning.
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