How to Build an Insect

K-Gr 4--Insect anatomy, basic body parts, and their purpose are detailed in this picture book. Insect body parts are introduced, and then compared and contrasted to human bodies. Gibson, who is an entomologist, explains new vocabulary and the science involved in how the insects' bodies work. The attractive illustrations complement the text very well and add humor; each concept is easy to understand and is smoothly applied to the next concept. On one page, the titles on a child's bookshelf include A Bug's Life Cycle and How To Bug Your Family. Gibson and Lambelet provide a fun, instructional easy reader text and a science project for children. The back matter, which consists of a glossary and a large diagram of an insect's body parts, also contains a more in-depth section on insect body parts that is accessible to fourth-grade readers. VERDICT A must-buy for elementary school and public libraries.--Nancy Call, formerly at Santa Cruz P.L., Aptos, CA