The Butterfly Alphabet: Photographs

An expansion of Sandved's award-winning poster in which letters and numbers can be deciphered in close-up exposures of butterflies and moths, this book marks a virtuoso performance by a talented nature photographer. Taken during his travels to more than 30 countries over 25 years, the photos collected here include crystalline shots of 26 intricately patterned butterflies and moths, positioned opposite large-scale magnifications of a portion of the featured species. Using optical equipment he devised himself, including microscopic lenses attached to bellows, Sandved has created breathtaking close-ups in which even the youngest readers will have no trouble spotting the highlighted letter. Though some of the rhymed couplets accompanying the photos are a bit precious (""The flutter of their little wings / Inspires love for all small things""), Sandved's concluding notes on the species examined are lucid and informative. A treasure for photography buffs and aspiring lepidopterists of all ages, this volume pays deserved tribute to nature's spectacular artwork, as well as to Sandved's remarkably discerning eye. All ages. (Mar.)