Insects: Biggest! Littlest!

Here are twenty-one sex-legged wonders from around the world—from the 22-inch-long Giant Stick Insect of Borneo to North America's Western Pygmy Blue Butterfly, with a wingspan of just a half inch. Huge mandibles, tiny bumps, and other amazing adaptations—big and little—enable each kind of insect to find food, avoid enemies, or fight for mates. Sandra Markle and Simon Pollard follow their successful Spiders: Biggest! Littlest! with a new feast for young scientific minds. The simple text and captivating full-color photographs offer new insights into the amazing survival skills of the world's most fascinating creatures.

"Remarkable, close-up photography and straightforward text combine to paint a vivid portrait of insects both large and small. ... Well organized and clearly written in an engaging style. Markle's book offers some unique insights into the insect world."--School Library Journal

"A bonus to classroom teachers seeking high-quality material clearly aligned to teaching standards." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Few opportunities are possible for either adults or children to view an elephant weevil, male stalk-eyed flies, whitefly larvae, or Hercules beetle as closely as this book offers." --Kirkus Reviews

Sandra Markle has written more than seventy nonfiction books about science for children. She has won more than thirty awards for her work. In addition to her books, Ms. Markle has developed science specials for television as well as Internet-based educational programs. She lives in New Zealand.Dr. Simon Pollard is a biologist, natural history writer, and photographer. He is Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand.