Florian, Douglas. 1998. Insectlopedia. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 9780152163358
2. Summary and Review
Florian’s Insectlopedia takes a fun and lighthearted look at many different insects and spiders through concrete and abstract rhyming poems. The circle shaped form of "The Whirligig Beetles" gives the reader the visual of the beetles spinning around. The staccato of the "Left, Right, Left, Right" in "The Army Ants" gives a very appropriate military feeling.
I’m really no fan of insects or spiders, but Florian’s masterful word play and his whimsical watercolor with collage illustrations turned even a hater into a lover. My favorite poem/illustration pairing is “The Crickets” because I really hate crickets, but this poem and illustration made me laugh about them. The illustration (which is also the cover art) depicts three smiling crickets with violins for bodies playing their songs for free. As an avid concert goer, I can appreciate free shows.
The Crickets
You don’t need tickets
To listen to crickets.
They chirp and cheep for free.
They fiddle and sing
By rubbing each wing,
And never will charge you a fee.
This collection of humorous poems is sure to intrigue children and adults alike.
3. Awards/Reviews
*Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 1999-2000
*Beehive Award Winner 2002
*School Library Journal Book Review Stars April 1998
*Positive Reviews in Booklist and Kirkus Reviews
4. Activities
This book would be a great companion for a unit of study on insects. The teacher could read aloud a poem or two a day before the actual science lesson.
This book could be read in conjunction with nonfiction books about the insects and spiders mentioned in the poems.
Students could use Florian’s concrete poems, “The Inchworm,” “The Termites,” and “The Whirligig Beetles” as inspiration to write their own concrete poems.
5. Related books
*On the Wing by Douglas Florian ISBN 9780152023669
*Beast Feast: Poems by Douglas Florian ISBN 9780152017378
*Insects, Frogs, and Polliwogs by Douglas Florian ISBN 9780152017378
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