Alien invaders

The boy who narrates the story begins by observing aliens on TV only to find them in his own backyard. With their robot legs, shiny suits and helmets, and camera lens eyes, the insects certainly look like aliens to him. Besides, they act suspiciously. They fly about, communicate using languages we can't understand, and spy on us in our houses. Because the boy can see that he is outnumbered by bugs, he decides to befriend them. The short, pithy text finds full expression in the large-scale artwork, which is dramatic, droll, and at times a bit spooky. Using a variety of media and good deal of technical skill, Leick creates dramatic pictures that are eye-catching at a glance and rewarding for children who look long enough to find and enjoy the witty details. The kind of book kids will want to share with their friends, this would also make an offbeat but riveting introduction to a classroom unit on insects.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

In this English-only edition of a 2005 bilingual version, a boy narrates his observations about how insects are like aliens: they have "robot legs...they whisper in secret languages...they build cities under our feet," etc. The text relies heavily on digitally manipulated colored-pencil illustrations to explain the comparisons; the pictures do their best, but there's not a lot to work with. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The boy who narrates the story begins by observing aliens on TV only to find them in his own backyard. With their robot legs, shiny suits and helmets, and camera lens eyes, the insects certainly look like aliens to him. Besides, they act suspiciously. They fly about, communicate using languages we can’t understand, and spy on us in our houses. Because the boy can see that he is outnumbered by bugs, he decides to befriend them. The short, pithy text finds full expression in the large-scale artwork, which is dramatic, droll, and at times a bit spooky. Using a variety of media and good deal of technical skill, Leick creates dramatic pictures that are eye-catching at a glance and rewarding for children who look long enough to find and enjoy the witty details. The kind of book kids will want to share with their friends, this would also make an offbeat but riveting introduction to a classroom unit on insects. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.