by Norma Dixon
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2008
ISBN 978-1-55005-128-5
$19.95 (hc), 32 pp, colour photos and illustrations glossary, index, ages 8 – 12
www.fitzhenry.ca
Most of us don’t give flies much of a thought, other than to be annoyed when they hover around or land on our food. This book will change all that with liberally illustrated fascinating facts that prove that flies are pretty amazing creatures. Masters of adaptation to different habitats, flies have evolved into more than 125,000 species and thrive in every environment on Earth except the frozen poles. Focus on Flies encourages pre-teen scientists to collect, classify and study flies, providing clearly drawn and labeled diagrams, colour photos of a variety of flies, and simple activities for field research. This is a colourful and readable resource that will interest the target age group, if only for the gory details.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s March 2009 issue.