Ants. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science Book). Deborah Hodge. Illustrated by Julian Mulock. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 2004. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $6.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (cl.). ISBN 1-55337-655-2 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55337-066-X (cl.). Subject Heading: Ants-Juvenile literature. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Gillian Richardson. ***1/2 /4
	Bees. (Denver Museum of Nature & Science Book). Deborah Hodge. Illustrated by Julian Mulock. Toronto, ON: Kids Can, 2004. 32 pp., pbk. & cl., $6.95 (pbk.), $14.95 (cl.). ISBN 1-55337-656-0 (pbk.), ISBN 1-55337-065-1 (cl.). Subject Heading: Bees-Juvenile literature. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Gillian Richardson. ***1/2 /4

excerpt:

Ready, Set, Grow!

A bee goes through different stages as it grows. Can you count them? Start with the egg.

1. Egg: The queen lays an egg in a cell. The egg is smaller than the dot on this i.

2. Larva: A larva hatches from the egg. Workers feed the larva up to 200 times a day. At first, the larva eats a jelly made by the workers. Later, the larva eats pollen mixed with honey.

3. Pupa: Workers seal the cell with wax. Inside the cell, the larva spins a cocoon. Now, it is a pupa. The pupa grows and changes.

4. Adult: The pupa turns into an adult bee. The bee chews through the wax to get out of the cell. The bee is fully grown and ready to work. (From Bees.)

The youngest nature lovers will find this new series a visual delight. Ants and Bees, two new titles from Kids Can Press and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, catch the eye with superb close-up photos on the front cover. Inside, readers will enjoy an enormous, double-page spread showing the insect's body parts and a cutaway of the inside of a bee hive and the ants' nest. Facts in easy-to-read text and in large type detail each insect's appearance, habits, home, life cycle, food and place in the natural world. Each page of information is supported by clearly labeled, precise drawings or photos.

     These books contain four activities that are set out in simple 'How-To' style. The reader can build a giant model of ant or bee with Styrofoam while s/he learns about an insect's six legs and three basic body parts. Art and craft ideas, a recipe, a simple trap for observation of ants and an experiment using the sense of smell are included. Amazing trivia facts are sprinkled throughout: eg. ants have been on Earth over 100 million years. The books each contain a Table of Contents, an Index and a simple Glossary, making them perfect for teaching the basics of research in the early grades.

     This is a great starter series that will capture a beginning reader's interest with its appealing presentation.

Highly Recommended.

A freelance writer and former teacher-librarian, Gillian Richardson lives in BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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