Step Gently Out

Gr 1–4—Poetic lines and intriguing photographs invite readers to observe a host of insects that "share the world" with us. Seen in magnified close-up views against soft-focus backgrounds, "a honeybee flies past..../A cricket leaps/and lands, then sits back/and sings." Caterpillars, ants, moths, a praying mantis, and a katydid are among the small creatures that are "bathed in golden light" and "as evening turns to night,/the creatures shine with stardust. Then they're splashed with morning dew." Frost's spare text is nicely rhythmic and falls into long rhyming couplets. Appearing in small chunks set in inviting double-page pictures, the poem reads rather as blank verse, the imagery and phrasing pleasing when shared aloud. The felicitous pairing of poetry and pictures is enjoyable and useful. A glossary cites the species name of each insect with a brief paragraph describing some of its behavior.—Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston