Look Out for Bugs

Prokopowicz’s impressive paper dioramas will have children poring over the pages of her first picture book, and not just because they’re asked to locate bugs hidden in six scenes. Five types of bugs are tucked into each delicately crafted tableau, set around the U.S., and the artist makes finding the pill bugs, damselflies, mantises, and more enjoyably challenging (an answer key is provided for those who remain stumped). Accompanying text passages present information about each insect and habitat (oddly, arachnids like scorpions and spiders get lumped in under the insect umbrella), but it’s the small-scale dramas unfolding in Prokopowicz’s warmly lit creek beds, marshes, and deserts that will keep readers’ attention. Ages 5–7. (Apr.)