Written to be read aloud by two voices--sometimes alternating, sometimes simultaneous--here is a collection of irresistible poems that celebrate the insect world, from the short life of the mayfly to the love song of the book louse. Funny, sad, loud, and quiet, each of these poems resounds with a booming, boisterous, joyful noise. In this remarkable volume of poetry for two voices, a companion to I Am Phoenix, Paul Fleischman verbally re-creates the "Booming/boisterios/joyful noise" of insects. The poems resound with the pulse of the cicada and the drone of the honeybee. Eric Beddows's vibrant drawings send each insect soaring, spinning, or creeping off the page in its own unique way. Paul Fleischman has created not only a clear and fascinating guide to the insect world--from chrysalid butterflies to whirligig beetles--but an exultant celebration of life. Winner, 1989 Newbery Medal

Notable Children's Books of 1988 (ALA)

1988 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)

1988 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book for Fiction/Poetry

1989 Fanfare Honor List (The Horn Book)

1988 Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts (NCTE)

Children's Books of 1988 (Library of Congress)

1988 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

100 Books for Reading and Sharing (NY Public Library)