Insectlopedia

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Florian, Douglas. 1998. INSECTLOPEDIA. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company. ISBN 0-15-201306-7.

PLOT SUMMARY
This book is a topical collection of 21 poems about insects with accompanying illustrations by the poet.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Insectlopedia presents a whimsical look at 21 different insects including mosquitoes, termites, and ticks. Douglas Florian opens the book with a table of contents that enables readers to find a particular poem about their favorite bug. Each poem is varied in its verse form to suit the characteristics of the subject. For example, "The Inchworm" is a shaped or concrete poem in which the words form the shape of a bowed-up inchworm. The clever arrangement of the words in the opening lines of "The Army Ants" suggests the left/right, left/right movement of marching feet. In some poems, certain words are printed in boldface to create puns or a play-on-words. "The Dragonfly" is called the demon of skies, and "The Praying Mantis" swallows its victims religiously. The poet uses words sparingly in "The Walkingstick" and "The Mosquito" to suggest the minimal physical presence of these two insects. Each poem contains a similar use of language and sound to enhance the connection of the words to the subject.

Each poem is placed on a large white page facing the accompanying illustration on the opposite page. Florian constructs collages made of ink drawings and watercolor paintings with cutout letters to illustrate the subject of each poem. He cleverly inserts human elements into his illustrations such as the Father's Day card in "The Giant Water Bug" and hand-weights in "The Daddy Longlegs". The overall effect of the poetic and artistic elements produces a delightful anthology about a familiar topic for kids age 5-10.

AWARDS

ALA Notable Books for Children - 1999

Beehive Children's Poetry Book Award - 2002

ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Awards - 1999

REVIEW EXCERPTS

School Library Journal: "The words are arranged in pleasing patterns and the rhythms fit the characteristics of the subjects."

Booklist: "The artwork consists of collages of drawn and painted images and printed letters on paper that is cut and juxtaposed for effect."

CONNECTIONS

>Read other books of poetry by Douglas Florian such as beast feast, on the wing, and in the swim.

>Look at photographs of the insects represented in Insectlopedia and compare/contrast these images with Florian's artwork.