Insect Superpowers

October 15, 2019
The insect world is buzzing with superpowers! Jumping on the superhero bandwagon, Messner and Nickell bring readers a fascinating and fun read that is heavy on action but light on the details. Designed like a graphic novel, the book introduces 18 insects that have extraordinary abilities. Along the way, readers learn about the biological classification system and a sampling of insect orders. Nickell's illustrations keep the pages turning, as insects are presented as the superheroes (or supervillains) of the book: "The Decapitator" (also known as the Asian giant hornet) is surrounded by action lines and has thunderbolts of power emanating from its viselike mandibles. Other details, such as the benday dots backgrounding the yellow information boxes, create a subtle nod to comic books of old. Messner's text flows smoothly in this action-packed format but suffers from its lack of space, and this compression may cause confusion, as when the text on the yam hawk moth vacillates between the generic and the specific. Other editorial choices are less than pleasing. The first scientific name mentioned includes a phonetic pronunciation guide, but none of the others do. The backmatter is anemic, consisting of a seven-book, two-website bibliography. Based on the format, the book will be popular, but be ready to recommend supplemental titles to readers who expect more than cursory information. As flashy as a butterfly but needs a swarm of support. (Graphic nonfiction. 8-12)

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November 1, 2019

Gr 3-7-Messner celebrates 18 insects' "superpowers" using large, informative comic-book style sequences, pithy chapter titles ("Great Imposters," "Big and Tough," "Masters of Chemical Weaponry"), clever phrases ("the malevolent mimic," "the great glue shooter," "the sonar smasher"), and large-print exclamations. Sidebars and inserts include each insect's common and scientific name and other information such as physical features, secret hideout, superpower, favorite food, allies, and archenemy. Comic book-style sequences show the insect in action. The termite, described as "the great glue shooter" because of how it wards off ant attacks, is depicted in a four-page spread confronting an ant and accompanied by other termite soldiers. An afterword emphasizes that all the information in the book is true, even though some insects have powers that rival fictional superheroes. VERDICT The book's unique format is both informative and appealing. While it is a fine mentor text for young readers and writers of nonfiction, it is also highly recommended for browsing and enjoyment.-Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2019
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* The Green Bolt, the False Flash, the Vomitizer. These aren't villains set to destroy Batman or Superman; rather, they're a few of the 18 insects with superpower adaptations and survival skills featured in this impressive collection. Divided into six sections on insect speed, mimicry, heft, engineering, and chemical weapons, as well as amazing ants, the informational book takes on the look and feel of a vintage superhero comic book. A brief introduction to biological classification, with an emphasis on insect orders, kicks off the text before delving into individual critters. Each section gives a short overview and real-life size comparisons in millimeters of the selected insects. Each profile, in turn, takes readers through a battle in which the insect has to use its superpower to capture prey or avoid predators. For instance, large-scale comic-book panels depict a bird about to seize an African bombardier beetle until this Machine Gun Butt emits a hot, noxious mist from its abdomen. Action-packed descriptions in text panels provide the science behind this defense mechanism. Other text panels present fast facts, such as the insect's common name, physical characteristics, habitat, and of course, archenemies. And in true comic-book style, the best battle scenes involve Smack! Crunch! Kapow! and other onomatopoeias. The format gives readers a fun and delightfully creepy way to learn about insect adaptations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)