The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

When Mom told me we were going to review a book called The Beetle Book, I was so excited! Beetles make wonderful snacks, and they're great fun to chase around the yard! However, this story goes way beyond snack foods – and it's a good thing, too. It would be an awfully short book otherwise. Steve Jenkins instead provides readers with beautiful illustrations, fascinating details, and an in-depth look at the critters underfoot.

I was immediately taken by the illustrations in this book. And I am in good company: School Library Journal also praises, “[a]s usual, Jenkins’s illustrations are as intriguing as his text” (Dawes 2012). Jenkins uses cut- and torn-paper collages to craft each beetle, giving special attention to colors and shapes and choosing beautiful and exotic beetles to feature. There is also ample negative space in each spread, as Jenkins chose to place the beetles on a white background. The effect really makes each one pop and keeps the focus on the beetles. When an illustration is not true to size, Jenkins provides a lineup of life-sized silhouettes of all the beetles on the page for comparison and perspective.

Jenkins took great care in organizing the information in a manner that's easy for kids to follow, with each two-page spread labeled with its subject in bold in the top left corner. With each turn of the page, Jenkins covers a new topic about being a beetle: anatomy, defenses, life cycle, and camouflage, to name just a few. A table of contents or index might have been a helpful feature for finding specific information, but Jenkins does include a listing of the common name, scientific name, and country/continent where each beetle is found in the endpapers, organized by the page on which each beetle is found. For a survey book, this is sufficient, as it whets the reader's appetite to learn more and then provides enough information to serve as a jumping-off point for researching any beetle in the book. Critics rave, “Jenkins’ splendid array of beetles will surely produce at least one budding coleopterist” (Kirkus Review 2012).

There are a plethora of activities that could pair The Beetle Book. One approach could be to study Jenkins's torn- and cut-paper art style, having children experiment with creating their own art using these methods. With so many different beetles of all sizes and shapes, this book naturally lends itself to helping curious minds choose a beetle to find out more about through other reference books, online resources, or even a trip to the insect exhibit at the local zoo or natural history museum. Another activity children may enjoy is comparing The Beetle Book to a handful of Jenkins's other survey books available, such as Egg: Nature's Perfect Package or Creature Features. Because Jenkins is a master at the informational survey book, these titles could serve as models for classes to create their own survey book on a class unit of study.

“A richly varied and visually riveting introduction to beetles, both familiar and strange,” The Beetle Book is sure to instill curiosity and wonder in its readers (Phelan 2012). Be sure to share this delightful book with all the pups in your life. I give it two paws up!

Wags & Woofs,

Charlie Brown

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References:

Dawes, Erika Thulin. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” The Classroom Bookshelf: An SLJ Blog. Posted on March 25, 2012. http://www.theclassroombookshelf.com/2012/03/the-beetle-book/.

Jenkins, Steve. 2012. The Beetle Book. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN:978-0-547-68084-2

Kirkus Review. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” Kirkus Review. Posted February 5, 2012. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/steve-jenkins/beetle-book/.

Phelan, Carolyn. 2012. “The Beetle Book.” Booklist 108, no. 5: 44.