Review by Booklist Review
Two friends are making their way to an exhibit on insects at the New York Public Library, discussing the history of insects along the way, but neither they nor any other humans will make it there. The curators of the exhibit would be glad to know, however, that their work was not in vain. In the years that follow, a veritable parade of insects takes a journey through the exhibit, providing insight into how humanity has lived alongside, thought about, and learned about insects of all varieties, with the insects providing their own (perhaps accurate!) insights throughout. In Kuper's visual masterpiece, readers embark on a journey across centuries of biology, entomology, environmental science, and cultural studies, among other fields, all of which are given their due, with special care to showcase those often left out of the story, without leaving the reader exhausted. Kuper captures the essence of museum exhibits, with their overwhelming display cases and busts of long-dead researchers, and even incorporates visual references as transitions between sections. The transitions between pages and panels are something special as well, using the weaving, crawling, flittering, and fluttering of the insects themselves as a way to navigate the page. And with an illustrated bibliography that's to die for, this is setting a new high bar for graphic nonfiction.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Eisner winner Kuper (Ruins) delivers a lyrical graphic history of the relationship between insects and humans. From griffonflies the size of hawks that "ruled the skies" during the Carboniferous era to how malaria impacted conquerors worldwide (Hannibal lost an eye to it), insects--all 10 quintillion of them--have constantly fluttered and crawled their way through history. The narrative opens with a brother and sister heading to an exhibit on insects at the New York Public Library. Then a disaster wipes out humanity, and insects reign. "Much, much later," talking monarch butterflies, dung beetles, and other insects explore the building ("Wow! An entire library filled with exhibits about us!"). From bees to ant farms, how humans tolerate and even sometimes deify ("I was sacred, damnit" the dung beetle shouts) the ubiquitous life-forms is rendered in acrobatic storytelling. In addition to profiles of scientists like Rachel Carson, other human notables, including novelist Vladimir Nabokov--a dedicated butterfly enthusiast--get their due. A visual tour de force, the page layouts juxtapose myriad insects against the majestic architecture of the library, and the highly detailed drawings of the exhibits contain countless Easter eggs, including QR codes that lead to supplemental audio. Kuper's visuals are breathtaking and many moments, like a monarch suddenly perceiving the magnetic field that will guide her home, are magical. It's a stunning achievement. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary. (May)
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