The Life Cycle of a Beetle

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

There are now 18 volumes in this fascinating series, which introduces
preteen readers to the life cycles of a range of species. Earlier
volumes looked at the life of a snake, a raccoon, a butterfly, a frog, a
bird, a sea turtle, a koala, a whale, a lion, a wolf, a spider, and a
tree. The new volumes focus on that of a beetle (an insect found “in
every part of the world except Antarctica”), a flower (and how it
benefits the environment), a honeybee (which develops through
metamorphosis), a mosquito (and how to avoid its bites), a sea horse (a
species of fish at risk from pollution and dying coral reefs), and an
earthworm (aka “fertilizer factory”).

In general, readers learn about where a particular species lives, what
it eats, what the differences are between the male and female, how it
reproduces, its life stages, its importance to the environment, its
defence strategies, and other unique things.

The topics are presented in two-page spreads, with lots of sidebars,
colourful photographs, and illustrations. The text is easy to read, and
words appearing in bold type are explained in a glossary at the back.
The books conclude with a “Learning More” section, which lists
useful websites for further research, and an index. Every school and
public library should have this series of books in its collection. All
of the volumes are highly recommended.