SERIES
Backyard Bugs

​Picture Window Books, 2005
​grades preK-3
24 pages

NOTE: Some of these titles are out of print. If you can't find them at
Capstone Publishing (capstonepub.com), you should be able to find them at Amazon.

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​Busy Buzzers: Bees in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Brandon Reibeling


Did you know that there are 20,000 kinds of bees in the world?
​Find out more about one special kind called the honeybee in this Backyard Bugs book.

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​ISBN  9781404804456 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404801431 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897274 (interactive ebook)

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Bzzz, Bzzz! Mosquitoes in Your Backyard

illustrated by Rick Peterson

Ouch! What's that pinprick you feel on your arm? Ouch! There's another one on your leg! You're being attacked by mosquitoes!
Look inside this book to learn why mosquitoes bite you—and why mosquitoes are more than pests. 

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ISBN  9781404817531 (paperback)
​ISBN  9781404811409 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897199 (interactive ebook)

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Chirp, Chirp! Crickets in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Rick Peterson

Cree-ee...cree-ee...What's that chirping sound? It's a field cricket! Look inside this chirp-filled book to learn about a cricket's life cycle, where it lives, why it chirps, and how it gets around.

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ISBN  9781404817548 (paperback)
​ISBN  9781404811416 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897205 (interactive ebook)

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​Dancing Dragons: Dragonflies in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Rick Peterson

What's that strange bug darting at the edge of the pond? It's a dragonfly, one of the best fliers in the bug world. Learn about a dragonfly's life cycle, where it lives, and how this insect has survived since before the time of the dinosaurs.

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​ISBN  9781404817555 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404811423 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897212 (interactive ebook)

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Flying Colors: Butterflies in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Rick Peterson

They're orange, yellow, and red, They're striped, spotted, and swirled. What are these colorful dancers? Butterflies! Look inside this book to learn about a butterfly's life cycle, where it lives, and how it helps make more plants.

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​ISBN  9781404817562 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404811430 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897229 (interactive ebook)

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​Garden Wigglers: Earthworms in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Rick Peterson

Earthworms are nature's gardeners. Their long, narrow, underground tunnels let air and water into the soil and keep it healthy. Learn about the earthworm's life cycle, how it moves, and what this helpful wiggler eats.

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​ISBN  9781404817562 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404811430 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897229 (interactive ebook)

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Hungry Hoppers: Grasshoppers in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Brandon Reibeling

What an athlete! If basketball players could jump as far as a grasshopper, they'd go through the roof! Learn what keeps a grasshopper hopping.

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​ISBN  9781404804487 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404801462 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897304 (interactive ebook)

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​Living Lights: Fireflies in Your Backyard

illustrated by Brandon Reibeling

Did you know that there are more than 2,000 kinds of fireflies in the world? Find out what makes them flash and how they go from eggs to adults in this Backyard Bugs book.

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​ISBN  9781404804470 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404801455 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897298 (interactive ebook)

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Night Fliers: Moths in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Brandon Reibeling

Look up in the porch light at night. Moths! There are more than 200,000 kinds of moths in the world. Learn about the family of moths, how they grow, where they live, and what they eat.

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ISBN  9781404804463 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404801448 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897281 (interactive ebook)

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​Spotted Beetles: Ladybugs in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Melissa Voda

Did you know that there are 5,000 kinds of ladybugs in the world? Learn about the ladybug's favorite food, how long it lives, and lots more in this Backyard Bugs book. 

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​ISBN  9781404801424 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897267 (interactive ebook)

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​Tiny Workers: Ants in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Brandon Reibeling

Ants, ants, ants! Brown ones. Black ones. Little ones. Big ones.
There are more than 11,000 kinds of ants in the world! Climb down into the anthills and learn about these hardworking insects.

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ISBN  9781404804432 (paperback)
​ISBN  9781404801417 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897250 (interactive ebook)

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Weaving Wonders: Spiders in Your Backyard

​illustrated by Rick Peterson

You might think spiders are creepy, but they're actually very helpful! They eat lots of pests and provide food for birds, frogs, and other animals. Learn all about these weaving wonders in this Backyard Bugs book.

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ISBN  9781404817586 (paperback)
ISBN  9781404811454 (library binding)
ISBN  9781404897243 (interactive ebook)

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REVIEW

Recommended by the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)
February 5, 2004

Author Nancy Loewen and illustrator Brandon Reibeling have delivered a stunning collection of Backyard Bugs books for primary readers. Like all the books in this series, Tiny Workers: Ants in Your Backyard is beautifully written and full of kid-friendly information. Each book offers a festival of color merged with text that can be independently navigated by second and third grade readers or enjoyed as a read-aloud by younger students. These books brim with charmingly crafted sentences that beckon readers: Ants live in "a-mazing little homes" where "the dirt is like the door to their house." Although each book in the collection stands admirably on its own, my second-graders were lucky enough to have all six volumes to review. We shared the books together, and then each child chose one book to study thoroughly and become our "expert" on that insect. While reading, we all noted the same engaging features. First, the pictures, shich are huge, scientifically accurate, and often drawn from a surprising point of view. These illustrations had children clamoring to gaze into compound eyes or between palpi. Second, additional and unconventional information is featured in magnifying glasses on each page and at the end of the book. These facts made every one of us (including me) say, "Hey, I never knew that!" The well-organized table of contents, index, and glossary provide the opportunity to teach the children how to use these text supports, and simple extension activities invite them to revisit ideas from the books. I’ve been studying insects with my students for years, but I have never seen a collection of books that I liked as much as this one. More importantly, these books are also endorsed by the most discriminating critics of all: the kids!