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Average Customer Rating:

The Best of the Bug Books

Customer Rating:

Even if you didn't read a word of the educational information concerning the orders of insects this book is worth the photos alone. Outstanding as a field guide, the photos are excellent, and often include inset photos of larvae. Handy ID notes right on the photos point out details of the insect to make identification easier. A photo Table of Contents will help you zero right in on the order of the insect in question. This is not the only bug book I have, but by far the most used. Though featuring insects of all of North America, each photo and description tell you the range so you know if the insect you are questioning is even in your area. If you even have a mild interest in insects, this makes a great "picture book" to peruse, but for those who are seriously interested in ID'ing and learning it is an indispensable tool.

A lot of info in a small package

Customer Rating:

Price and size are what makes this guide so great. It provides a good overview of insects in a very portable format, particularly for my young daughter to put in her pocket before we explore the great outdoors. The small size, however, means that the illustrations are not as large or detailed as we would prefer. It also limits the amount of specific information that can be included. We recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and have found region-specific books (particularly from Lone Pine Publishers) to be superb. I recommend this as a great resource at a very good price.

A wonderful book for even the youngest reader (3 years and up)

Customer Rating:

This is the first book I remember owning. Children are fasinated by insects and this book lets them see pictures of real insects which they can find them in their yards. I give a copy of this to anyone I know turning 3 or up. I have yet to have anyone NOT enjoy it. It is also a help to those childen (and moms) who fear bugs. It is a great way to teach respect for all creatures. Get this and an empty jar and you can have tons of fun with your child.

Still a Great Introduction to Insects for Young People

Customer Rating:

Almost the first book on insects that I ever acquired was a hardbound edition of this little guide in the early 1950s. Indeed, I wore out several copies before I graduated to Lutz's "Field Book of Insects" and later more up to date guides. While a bit behind in modern systematics, this guide still has enchanting pictures, mostly the same ones I poured over during my childhood. It was here I first caught the insect "bug" that eventually propelled me into a career in biological sciences. Zim's early "Golden Guide to Insects" was a magic carpet into the fantastic world of insects and I think that it must still be luring young people to at least appreciate the six-legged crowd. I know that the images in this book are still burned into my brain, especially that of the beautiful buckeye butterfly and the various horned scarab and carrion beetles. I highly recommend this book for children as a first insect book, but I sort of wish they had kept the original yellow cover!

Delightful book on insects for a young age.

Customer Rating:

I really enjoy Golden Guide books from St. Martin Press. They have been around for a long time where I enjoyed their small, colorful illustrative books as a child. It is fairly accurate in illustations and a brief description of the various insects that can be found. For those children who enjoy science and the curiousity of insects, this book is handy and a nice presentation of introducing them to the world of insects.