Maloney champions the much-maligned insect in this work of narrative nonfiction, which shows readers how these critters' weird bits and behaviors not only bolster their survival but also can benefit humans, too. At first glance, the lengthy text might seem like, well, a buzzkill, but from the first page, the author delights with fascinating details in a jaunty, conversational style, periodically accompanied by funny cartoon spot art. Opening with insects basics (physical characteristics, defense mechanisms, their scale in the world, etc.), the book continues with thematic chapters, such as how insects pollinate plants (it's not just bees!), insects as a food source (for humans!), and their role in decomposition (and forensics!). Maloney uses her own encounters with insects, like ordering a Madagascar hissing cockroach online (but receiving three cockroaches, resulting in 51 babies after 15 minutes in her home), to introduce such broader topics as insect reproduction. She's also mindful of the myriad ways that insects help the planet. In addition to describing their impact in medicine, the soil, and more, the author calls out the impact humans have on the insect world, namely a negative role in its endangerment and extinction. And in a final chapter, Maloney offers ways that readers can protect these perhaps still creepy yet necessary species. A buzzy account for budding entomologists that's sure to fly off the shelves.

Insects: the why, what, where, and how. Nearly every page of this volume has a fabulous fact or story to relate. The tone is informatively jocular, with a waggishness sure to appeal to middle-grade readers but content sophisticated enough to intrigue and educate teens. In addition to relaying scientific information on fascinating insect behavior (fire beetles lay their eggs in the midst of forest fires) and physiology (a cockroach can live without its head for 168 hours), the author relays her own insect adventures. She gleefully embarks on an experiment to observe Madagascar hissing cockroaches--a bit of curiosity that gets out of hand--and shares her phobia of grasshoppers, thereby tacitly giving readers permission to be skeeved out by insects while still being interested in them. As entertaining as these stories are, scientific research is the foundation of this superb book. It explores insects' vital role as pollinators, describes their potential as human food, hilariously relates their important role in decomposing dead things, and much more. The examination of the human-caused sixth extinction (as well as a bit about the previous five) and what that means for insects and people strikes a more somber note. Occasional sprinkles of appealing, anthropomorphic, black-and-white insect illustrations add fun visual interest and will encourage readers to look up photos to receive the full effect. Fresh, lively, funny, and very, very informative. (reading list, works cited, index) (Nonfiction. 10-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In this wide-ranging, amusing, and informative investigation of the insect world, Maloney features the ways in which insects are remarkable unto themselves as well as in relation to humans and the environment. The book opens with a chapter on the basics of insect anatomy and characteristics, with plenty of examples to illustrate their remarkable diversity, then turns to chapters that center on particular insect themes and meander into related topics. A chapter on the role of insects in decomposition includes discussions about forensic entomology, poop-eating dung beetles, and an escapade involving deer skull scavenging, for example. Maloney herself is the central character: an enthusiastic, unflinching, and unfailingly curious explorer of all things insect. She cooks with cricket flour; mail-orders painted lady butterflies, hissing cockroaches, and an ant farm; conducts citizen science insect counts in her own backyard; and interviews scientists to gather information about cutting-edge insect investigation. Her friendly, engaging text includes many analogies (exoskeletons as "the ultimate power suit") and jokey asides. Interspersed throughout are spot illustrations of insects that combine field-study precision for the bodies with large cartoonlike eyes and expressions. If readers are not already inspired by Maloney's antics, the final chapter provides an exhaustive list of ways to take action and preserve insect species. A suggested reading list and an index (unseen) are appended. Danielle J. Ford September/October 2022 p.109(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.