Bugz: An Extraterrestrial Pop-Up Book

Kids' seemingly never-ending fascination with creepy-crawlies gets an out-of-this-world workout in this ant-ic extravaganza. Clever paper engineering breathes life into van der Meer's vividly hued pop-ups; a few liftable flaps and pull-tabs add more monstrous mirth. (A particular surprise is provided by the ``Hip-hopper,'' a splendidly grotesque creation that emerges full-blown from a mere slot.) ``The Original Field Notes of Dr. June Beadle,'' a small pamphlet inserted into the book's opening page, explains the ``discovery'' of these specimens on ``a remote moon of Saturn called Zorn.'' Though kids will appreciate some of the book's zany descriptions, much of the humor expresses an adult sensibility--one bug which looks like a tarantula but is instead a Spyder ``may be an insect with an identity crisis''; a blimp-shaped character is ``The Hindenbug.'' Several entomological facts are scattered throughout the silliness; however, the whimsical tone may give readers some difficulty in separating fact from fiction. Ages 7-up. (May)