Review by Booklist Review
Roll up! Roll up! Meet a shimmering green Garreta nitens beetle and watch as she gathers in a mate to help shape and bury a ball of fresh elephant dung with an egg planted inside, then scurries off to continue her essential ecological work by finding--or stealing, if the opportunity presents itself--more balls of nourishing poop to plant. Bailey sticks largely to the African savanna for her above- and below-ground scenes, but as a life-size gallery of poop-munching insect cousins and a fold-out poster map make clear, dung beetles are busy balling up waste and reproducing in it on every continent except Antarctica. Cutaway views of underground larval development offer further insights into the life cycle of these near-ubiquitous recyclers, and just for fun (and review), a "Serengeti I-Spy" at the end invites young readers to go back to spot distinctive birds and beasts in previous illustrations.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poop-policing beetles help reduce pests. Auld focuses on an African beetle, but as her information-packed book notes, similar species are found on every continent but Antarctica, and "in forests, farmland, and deserts," as well as in the savanna. Among the many books about the dung beetle, this one stands out for tracking a particular beetle's life cycle, but without giving it a name or personality, or making poop jokes. The beetle mates and tunnels, and its offspring grow inside their dung balls, subject to possible predation. A page of life-size images shows some varieties among the 5,000 species. The language is clear and accessible, with Latin names supplied for many species. The art is detailed enough to be accurate about the small insects while also providing an impression of the savanna landscape. The glowing emerald beetle stands out among the soft-edged images in neutral browns. Small-type captions filled with information make the reading experience more suited to one-on-one; in addition, the book's "find the animal" challenges require individual attention. Kids' preoccupation with poop provides the perfect opportunity to learn about the important environmental work performed by the dung beetle. An edifying and attractive look at a fascinating insect.(Informational picture book. 5-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
