DON'T SQUISH A SLUG

From delicate dragonflies to poop-policing dung beetles, bugs are amazing.

The title of zoologist Rafik’s book points to humans’ unfortunately common tendency to react with disgust to creepy-crawlies. But this introduction to some compelling critters will have readers rethinking their assumptions. The more than 40 creatures featured are grouped into categories such as “Masters of Disguise” and “Daring Defense.” Some will be familiar, but many, like the owl butterfly, jewel beetle, giraffe weevil, volcano snail, diabolical ironclad beetle, pinktoe tarantula, and web-slinging wasp, are likely to be new to readers. Rafik’s goal of making bugs seem less gross might fail when it comes to the tongue-eating louse (luckily a hazard only to fish) or the devious and aptly named assassin bugs, which use their long, sharp mouths to “stab their prey and suck out their insides.” (Though they’re dangerous to creatures such as ants, they’re essential to ecosystems.) The text is deeply informative; Rafik flavors his facts with fascinating tidbits (e.g., bugs predate dinosaurs) and colloquial expressions (“Yummy!”). Text in a large font introduces each insect, while text in a smaller font text packs in additional data, including definitions. In the accurately detailed, watercolorlike art, these critters come off as mild and personable rather than scary.

Entomology looks enticing in this collection of crawlies.