Insectlopedia

By Douglas Florian

Insectlopedia is a collection of poems and paintings about insects.  The short and rhythmic poems are fun for reading aloud.  The poems seem to read to a certain beat that catches a child's attention.  The author makes use of the sounds of words as well as their visual representation on paper to create his poems.  Many of his poems are concrete poems that represent the shape or movement of particular insects.  For instance, the words in "The Army Ants" are positioned to illustrate the marching of the ants.  Also, "The Inchworm" is written to show the curved shape of the worm, "The Whirligig Beetles" is written in a circle to demonstrate the circular movement of the beetles, and the words of "The Termites" are written to show the shape of a "high and mighty termite mound."

Douglas Florian makes use of rhyming words to create his poems.  In "The Dragonfly" the words skies, eyes, terrorize and bees, seize, knees round out the poem describing this "demon of the skies."  The poems are humorous, yet teach children about different insects.  The illustrations look like watercolor paintings that would appeal to young children who might make similar illustrations of their own.  This book provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to use poetry as a new activity for a science lesson.  It is a creative and fun way for children to look at different insects.

Florian, Douglas.  1998.  Insectlopedia.  San Diego:  Harcourt Brace and Company.  ISBN:  0152013067.