The Life Cycle of Army Ants

Gr 3–5—Despite the titles, only a few pages of each book are devoted to the life cycles of their subjects. Researchers will also find information on body parts, habitat, diet, defenses, interactions with humans, and similar species. Every book ends with a selection of fascinating facts and a diagram, some more detailed than others, summarizing the insect's or arachnid's life cycle. The text is broken up into boxes, and each bright spread is interspersed with close-up color photos. Paint-speckled backgrounds add visual excitement; but sometimes the design elements fall on top of the text and photos, making them a challenge to see. In addition, some images are blurry, and one is incorrectly labeled. For those in need of more in-depth information, Crabtree's "The Life Cycle" series covers similar species and devotes more space to their life cycles.