What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents by Bridget Heos and illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch, is a fun take off on the What to Expect When You Are Expecting books for adults. With a humorous question and answer format, children can find out about the details of insect life cycles.

Author Bridget Heos seems to have a definite passion about insects, which shines through. The text is interesting and informative, as well as amusing.

The lighthearted illustrations by award-winning illustrator Stéphane Jorisch are bright, colorful and enchanting. They are, at times, silly in a good way.

Though I don’t want to detract from all the wonderful positives of this book, I do want to be perfectly honest that you might find a few flaws. For example, -snip- on page 16, the illustration implies that adult dragonflies eat mosquito larvae. Actually the mosquito larvae (wigglers) live in the water and are eaten by young of dragonflies (nymphs or naiads). The adult dragonflies (sometimes referred to as mosquito hawks) eat the adult mosquitoes flying in the air. Not a big deal.

On page 27, it says “A moth pupa is a cocoon.” Sorry, a cocoon is technically the silky bag wrapping around a moth pupa. It should read, “A moth pupa is often found in a cocoon.”

Don’t be put off by these small points, however. The author has packed in facts that aren’t often found in children’s books about insects. It has a child-appropriate level of the “yucky” factor, too. Children are sure to find What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents amusing and enlightening.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Publisher: Lerner’s Millbrook Press (March 2011)
ISBN-10: 9780761358589
ISBN-13: 978-0761358589

An electronic copy of the book was provided for review purposes via NetGalley.

Be sure to look for more information about children’s books at today’s Book Talk Tuesday.