Discover the world through the eyes of a child.
Photographer Levon Biss was looking for a new, extraordinary subject when one afternoon he and his young son popped a ground beetle under a microscope.
Why not take out your magnifying glass and discover the extraordinary beauty of something ordinary.
Wonderful photos of insects can be found on Levon’s website. Click here and be amazed. And why not use your pencils, crayons or watercolours to draw some of the beetles that he photograped. Use the photos as inspiration.
Need more inspiration?
The book Beetle Boy (The Battle of the Beetles)
Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard
Make sure that you have a beetle spotters’ guide to hand when you start reading the exciting adventure of Beetle Boy (The Battle of the Beetles)
Why has it taken so long for beetles to get a starring role in a children’s book? They represent a quarter of living creatures on our planet. And there are more species of beetle than any other order of animals. Beetles come is all the colours of the rainbow, from tiny ladybirds to shimmering jewel beetles.
Photo Bugboy
Dr Bartholomew Cuttle, the director of science at the Natural History Museum, has disappeared from the beetle vaults in mysterious circumstances, and Dr Cuttle’s son Darkus sets out on a quest to find him.
This is creepy crawly tale that is the perfect book for anyone who likes a bugs and adventure. Darkus is caught up in a world where all decisions for him are made by adults, so it is easy to feel for him right at the start. He is convinced that his dad is alive and he sets out to find out what has happened. Together with his friends, the timid Bertolt and the brave Virgina, they embark on a journey to solve the mystery and this is a mystery that involves several armies of beetles.
This book becomes special because of the attention to detail and Darkus’s adventure is set against a world where nature and science have blurred together Darkus and his dad belive that beetles as well as science hold the power to change the world.
This book uses scientific names and phrases is a way that makes it cool rather than appearing preachy. The author has researched information about hundreds of different types of beetles so this book is a think dive into not only an adventure but also the fascinating world of beetles. Baxter is a rhinoceros beetle that becomes a special friend. Baxter does not talk but Darkus can communicate with him. Never thought you would think that beetles are loveable, be prepared to see your heart melt. Baxter is kind, loyal, and inquisitive.
Beetle Boy is a warm book filled with glistening fireflies, glittering jewel beetles, deadly blister beetles, a magnificent Goliath beetle and dung beetles. It is a tale of how seemingly powerless creatures can possess powers and strengths and the importance of caring for all living things.
Beetles are superheros!
Biomimicry for Young Children 
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