The best insect books

Crows are mischievous, playful, social, and passionate. They mate for life and associate with relatives and neighbors for years. And because they often live near people—in our gardens, parks, and cities—they are also keenly aware of our peculiarities, staying away from and even scolding anyone who threatens or harms them and quickly learning to recognize and approach those who care for and feed them, even giving them numerous, oddly touching gifts in return. The ongoing connection between humans and crows—a cultural co-evolution—has shaped both species for millions of years.

With his extraordinary research on the intelligence and behavior of corvids—crows, ravens, and jays—scientist John Marzluff tells amazing stories of these brilliant birds in Gifts of the Crow. Teamed with artist and fellow naturalist Tony Angell, they offer an in-depth look at these complex creatures and our shared behaviors, illustrated with gorgeous line drawings.

On the surface the book is about a hippo with hiccups and the disasters caused by such a large creature’s ailment. But really it is about nonsense: vivid pink trees and yellow elephants, medical cures that involve licorice and buffaloes, and delicious nonsense words. There was a hippopotamus / Who hiccupped quite a-lot-amus / And every time he got'emus / He'd fall upon his bottomus.

I really didn’t have any particular interest in writing a story about an animal who can’t control his bodily functions. But… the chance to craft and then read words like “bottomus,” “yellowphant” “cementipede,” and “dental flosserous”?  Sign me up!  It’s all about the nonsense.

With art supplies in tow, a young boy explores the urban forest near his home, then interprets what he sees with his art. The boy is a keen observer who uses poetic, rhythmic language to describe the diversity he finds through all four seasons. His forest is both “fluffy” and “prickly,” “dense” and “sparse,” “crispy” and “soft.” It's also “scattered and soggy, and spotted and foggy.” His forest is made up of many colors — but he decides that “mostly it's green.” Each aspect of the forest inspires the boy to create a different kind of art: charcoal rubbing, rock art, photography, sponge painting, snow sculpture, cut-paper collage. To this artist, there's always something new to discover, and to capture!

The Garden Jungle is a celebration of the wildlife that lives right under our noses, in our gardens and parks, between the gaps in the pavement, and in the soil beneath our feet. Dave Goulson gives us an insight into the fascinating and sometimes weird lives of these creatures, taking us burrowing into the compost heap, digging under the lawn, and diving into the garden pond. He explains how our lives and ultimately the fate of humankind are inextricably intertwined with that of earwigs, bees, lacewings, and hoverflies, unappreciated heroes of the natural world, and how we can all help to encourage biodiversity in our back yard.

Roberta rescues tiny creatures, like the worms she finds stranded in the middle of the sidewalk on her way to school. That earns her funny looks from the other kids. But one day there’s an invasion of tiny creatures in her classroom, and Roberta will need to use her knowledge and creativity to show everybody that tiny creatures aren’t so scary after all. They just need friends who rescue and understand them. 

Lucy Ruth Cummins’ dynamic illustrations show the tiny creatures Roberta rescues—and her emotional journey through the story, from ridicule to gratitude. The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures was selected as a Blueberry Award Changemaker book and a Nautilus Award Gold Winner.

Ten-year-old Rosario Ramirez and her family are political refugees from Mexico, trying to make a new life in Canada. After being teased at school, Rosario vows not to speak English again until she can speak with an accent that’s one hundred percent Canadian. Since she and her parents plan to spend the whole summer working on BC fruit farms, she will be surrounded by Spanish speakers again. But when her family’s closest friend Jose gets terribly sick, Rosario’s plans start to unravel. Neither Jose nor Rosario’s parents speak English well enough to get him the help he needs. Like it or not, Rosario must face her fears about letting her voice be heard.

Chloe’s favorite uncle is getting married, and she’s not happy about it. But after a magical day with Uncle Bobby and his boyfriend, Jamie, Chloe realizes she’s not losing an uncle, but gaining one.

​Produced in coordination with GLAAD, this adorable picture book is a positive example of same-sex marriage and a celebration of family.

Ants number in the ten quadrillions, and they have been here since the Jurassic era. Inside an anthill, you’ll find high drama worthy of a royal court; and between colonies, high-stakes geopolitical intrigue is afoot. Just like us, ants grow crops, raise livestock, tend their young and infirm, and make vaccines. And, just like us, ants have a dark side: They wage war, despoil environments, and enslave rivals—but also rebel against their oppressors.

Acclaimed biologist Susanne Foitzik has traveled the globe to study these master architects of Earth. Joined by journalist Olaf Fritsche, Foitzik invites readers deep into her world—in the field and in the lab.

Ben and his mother, a documentary filmmaker, are embarking on a trip to his father's homeland of Kenya. Ben is terrified he won't be accepted by his estranged Maasai family, particularly as he has a crippling and shameful fear of blood. But when he arrives, he finds there is a lot more at stake than his pride... In a stunning, atmospheric adventure, Ben embarks on a journey of self-discovery as he sets out to claim his true place in the world.

Ants number in the ten quadrillions, and they have been here since the Jurassic era. Inside an anthill, you’ll find high drama worthy of a royal court; and between colonies, high-stakes geopolitical intrigue is afoot. Just like us, ants grow crops, raise livestock, tend their young and infirm, and make vaccines. And, just like us, ants have a dark side: They wage war, despoil environments, and enslave rivals—but also rebel against their oppressors.

Acclaimed biologist Susanne Foitzik has traveled the globe to study these master architects of Earth. Joined by journalist Olaf Fritsche, Foitzik invites readers deep into her world—in the field and in the lab.