This book would be a hit with students that love trivia. On each insect, there are different bits of information. Each insect is then represented by the number (almost like a concrete poem). Additional information is presented as paths of the insect. ( )

This is a fun, fabulous book! The authors takes different bugs, and numbers that are somehow associated with that bug and create pictures of those bugs with the number being repeated throughout the picture. It's hard to explain, but so very clever. Each bug also has a blurb telling about its characteristics. Some of the pages have sections which fold out. This is one I want for my library. ( )

From the people who created the fabulous Alphabeasties is this visually stunning, informative and fun book about all sorts of creepy crawlies. ( )

Bugs by the numbers by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss

It’s impossible to separate the text and art in this intriguing book on insects. 23 different bugs, insects, and other creepy-crawlies are combined with statistics and numbers to create unique art and text. The introduction features a cheery rhyme explaining the ubiquity of bugs and why the authors chose to bunch insects, bugs, arachnids, and others together under the heading “bugs.” Each creature stretches across a full spread, its body composed of numbers. Cut paper flaps conceal and reveal more information and additional facts – all mathematically related of course – abound.

For example, on the spider’s page we learn that spiders have 8 legs and a little about what those legs do. On the left, a blue page divided into six sections tells us that Daddy Longlegs aren’t spiders and have only 1 body segment, Golden Orb Web spiders make the biggest webs, spiders have 6 silk glands, Tarantula is the largest spider, and a Black Widow’s poison is 15 times more venomous than a rattlesnake’s. Lift the blue flap and you will see a web composed of 1s and sentences about spiders and three spiders constructed out of stylistic 8s.

Many children will be thrilled to spend hours finding all the numbers and facts about the different creatures and learning fascinating new facts. However, I was disappointed to see there were no sources listed for the many facts and numbers. Where did they get the numbers from? Also, some of the facts are a little vague, for example, the spider page tells us that Daddy Longlegs are not spiders, but doesn’t tell us what they are. Despite the introduction at the beginning, it’s confusing and disappointing to tell budding scientists that it’s ok to call things by the incorrect name because “most folks” do (although I’ve never met anyone who called an earthworm a bug!)

Verdict: This book is unique and fascinating and would make a fun addition to your library collection, but make sure you have plenty of more solidly grounded factual books on insects, arachnids, and whatever earthworms are (looked it up – invertebrates apparently?)

ISBN: 978-1609050610; Published April 2011 by Blue Apple; Borrowed from the library