Insectopedia
By Daniel Aguilera-Olivares
Illustrated by Itza Maturana
Insects are incredible creatures. They were among the first organisms to colonize our planet when life on land was just getting started, and the first to develop wings and conquer the skies. This book invites readers to learn what they're like, where they came from, and how they've survived so many extinctions.
Winner of the 2019 Marta Brunet Literary Award and the 2019 Colibrí Medal.
Translated into Chinese.
FORMAT
Recommended for ages 5 to 12
Design: Fun textured-effect cover
Binding: Hardcover
Size: 28 x 21.5 cm
Pages: 48
Year: 2018
ISBN: 978-956-364-054-0
Also available as an ebook
REVIEW
"Insectopedia" is a guide that describes the ecology, morphology and key characteristics of 11 insect orders found in Chile, in an effort to connect the world of these small, often overlooked living things with young readers. "The book has several goals, but the first was to bring children and everyone else closer to the world of insects, using language that's as simple as possible and an appealing design with vivid colors and illustrations. Insects aren't as ugly or as bad as they seem!
The book highlights the importance of insects on our planet and the role they play in ecosystems; it shines a light on insects rarely mentioned in other children's books, like cockroaches, termites, fleas, lice and kissing bugs; and finally, it highlights their remarkable diversity and resilience: "Insects have existed on our planet for millions of years and have survived many extinctions, including that of the dinosaurs. Insects will probably be the ones still around once we've gone extinct."
Daniel Aguilera-Olivares, UC CAPES Center, 2016.