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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | J 595.7 MES | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | J 595.7 MES | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | J 595.7 MES | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Insect Superpowers is an action-packed nonfiction picture book about the incredible insect abilities found in the natural world. Packaged comic book style, this book explores 18 awesomely real superheroes and supervillains, who each possess powers far beyond the average insect.
Meet the Malevolent Mimic, who wickedly disguises itself as a harmless pink orchid only to shred unsuspecting butterflies, or the Great Glue Shooter, who can blast a smelly glue from its face.
* Presents insects as superheroes and supervillains who excel in head-to-head combat, astounding weapons, and extraordinary skills
* All facts are equally real and amazing
* Written by award-winning nonfiction author Kate Messner
Insect Superpowers is the perfect pick for young entomologists, reluctant readers, and any kid who has ever been equally grossed out and fascinated by a bug.
This thrilling look at insects will entertain and educate readers ages 8 to 12 years old, as well as the adults that read with them.
* A wonderful gift for teachers, librarians, and Common Core educators who are looking to teach about insects in a fresh and exciting way
* Perfect for parents and caregivers of science, nature, and bug-obsessed kids
* Great for fans of comic books, superheroes, and graphic novels, as well as reads like Bugs A to Z by Caroline Lawton, Ultimate Bugopedia: The Most Complete Bug Reference Ever by Darlyne Murawski and Nancy Honovich, and Atlas of Animal Adventures by Rachel Williams and Emily Hawkins
Author Notes
Kate Messner is the award-winning author of Over and Under the Snow and more than a dozen other books for young readers. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family.
Jillian Nickell is a freelance illustrator, screen printer, and teacher living in Chicago, Illinois. Her work has been included in the Society of Illustrators' Illustrators 52 and Illustrators 55 award shows and book publications.
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--Messner celebrates 18 insects' "superpowers" using large, informative comic-book style sequences, pithy chapter titles ("Great Imposters," "Big and Tough," "Masters of Chemical Weaponry"), clever phrases ("the malevolent mimic," "the great glue shooter," "the sonar smasher"), and large-print exclamations. Sidebars and inserts include each insect's common and scientific name and other information such as physical features, secret hideout, superpower, favorite food, allies, and archenemy. Comic book--style sequences show the insect in action. The termite, described as "the great glue shooter" because of how it wards off ant attacks, is depicted in a four-page spread confronting an ant and accompanied by other termite soldiers. An afterword emphasizes that all the information in the book is true, even though some insects have powers that rival fictional superheroes. VERDICT The book's unique format is both informative and appealing. While it is a fine mentor text for young readers and writers of nonfiction, it is also highly recommended for browsing and enjoyment.--Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York
Kirkus Review
The insect world is buzzing with superpowers! Jumping on the superhero bandwagon, Messner and Nickell bring readers a fascinating and fun read that is heavy on action but light on the details. Designed like a graphic novel, the book introduces 18 insects that have extraordinary abilities. Along the way, readers learn about the biological classification system and a sampling of insect orders. Nickell's illustrations keep the pages turning, as insects are presented as the superheroes (or supervillains) of the book: "The Decapitator" (also known as the Asian giant hornet) is surrounded by action lines and has thunderbolts of power emanating from its viselike mandibles. Other details, such as the benday dots backgrounding the yellow information boxes, create a subtle nod to comic books of old. Messner's text flows smoothly in this action-packed format but suffers from its lack of space, and this compression may cause confusion, as when the text on the yam hawk moth vacillates between the generic and the specific. Other editorial choices are less than pleasing. The first scientific name mentioned includes a phonetic pronunciation guide, but none of the others do. The backmatter is anemic, consisting of a seven-book, two-website bibliography. Based on the format, the book will be popular, but be ready to recommend supplemental titles to readers who expect more than cursory information.As flashy as a butterfly but needs a swarm of support. (Graphic nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The Green Bolt, the False Flash, the Vomitizer. These aren't villains set to destroy Batman or Superman; rather, they're a few of the 18 insects with superpower adaptations and survival skills featured in this impressive collection. Divided into six sections on insect speed, mimicry, heft, engineering, chemical weapons, and amazing ants, the informational book takes on the look and feel of a vintage superhero comic book. A brief introduction to biological classification, with an emphasis on insect orders, kicks off the text before the book delves into individual critters. Each section gives a short overview and real-life size comparisons in millimeters of the selected insects. Each profile, in turn, takes readers through a battle in which the insect has to use its superpower to capture prey or avoid predators. For instance, large-scale comic-book panels depict a bird about to seize an African bombardier beetle until this Machine Gun Butt emits a hot, noxious mist from its abdomen. Action-packed descriptions in text panels provide the science behind this defense mechanism. Other text panels present fast facts, such as the insect's common name, physical characteristics, habitat, and of course, archenemies. And in true comic-book style, the best battle scenes involve Smack! Crunch! Kapow! and other onomatopoeias. The format gives readers a fun and delightfully creepy way to learn about insect adaptations.--Angela Leeper Copyright 2019 Booklist
