Dive into the World of Aquatic Insects

 

 

When You See Us: The Mysterious World of Aquatic Insects 
by Katherine Hocker; illus. by Svabhu Kohli 
32 pages; ages 3-7
Candlewick, 2026

themes: nature, insects, water
 

 We are born on the sides of boulders or under leaf skeletons, in the waving stems of water moss or on a pond’s rippling skin.

Spread by spread, Katherine Hocker takes us on a field trip into the mysterious and fascinating world of aquatic insects. We learn where they hide, what they eat, and how they move.

 

What I like about this book: The language is luscious and lyrical and so inviting that you almost forget this is a factual look at aquatic insects. For example, because they have exoskeletons, the larvae need to molt (shed their skin) as they grow. Katherine writes that they eat and grow “…until we split open like flower buds…” which is such a cool way to think about underwater bugs. The illustrations are wonderful, capturing the feel of these insect lives both as aquatic larvae and as adults that fly through the air. And I love the back matter, where readers can learn more about the insects, and how to get a closer look at them in real life.

Katherine was one of the featured authors at the Sixth Annual GROG Arthropod Roundtable on Earth Day 2026, and you can find out more about her book – and her love for bugs – here. 

Beyond the Books:

Go water-bug watching. Stand or sit in a comfortable (and safe) spot next to a stream, lake, or pond. Then focus your eyes on a stick or stone beneath the water’s surface and gaze around. Soon you’ll see things crawling, swimming, or wriggling in the water.

Draw a picture of one (or more) insects you find living in the water.

Watch how aquatic insects move. Take a shallow white tub and a cup to a pond. Collect some pond water in the tub. Then scoop up any insects you find on or under the water’s surface. Watch how they move their legs, whether they twirl or dive… and write down some words to describe what you notice. Then put everyone back where they belong.

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.
https://susannahill.com/blog/

Wordless Wednesday

Watching Things that Fly (through Binoculars)

Bird-watchers always seem to have a pair of binoculars hanging from their neck. Why not bug-watchers? There's a field guide for watching dragonflies through binoculars - with a pretty easy-to-remember title: Dragonflies through Binoculars, by Sidney Dunkle (2000, Oxford U. Press). It begins with lots of good info about dragonflies, how to identify, effects of temperature on them, and more. Then has detailed descriptions of dragonflies in North America and a checklist. But my favorite part is the sections of wonderful color photos.

It's a wonderful guide, and such a nifty idea that Oxford U Press published Butterflies Through Binoculars (Western North America) by Jeffrey Glassberg the following year.

No field guide to bees through binoculars yet. Nor beetles. But you don't need a field guide. This summer take a few minutes to watch the world of flying things through a pair of binoculars. What do you learn about these summer fliers? How do butterfly wings compare to beetle wings? What sort of flight patterns can you find?

If you spend some time watching dragonflies this summer, consider becoming a  "citizen scientist" to collect information for Dragonfly Pond Watch.Friday!  Check out more STEM Friday books and resources here.

Wordless Wednesday

Dragons in the Sky

eastern pondhawk. photo by Jo Smith

Dragonflies zip above my hayfield, stitching together pieces of the sky. They’re busy, hunting down gnats and mosquitoes, but every now and then one stops for a moment, perching on a seedy head of grass or a flower.

Hunting gnats is tough – how does one see those tiny pesky things while flying 20 to 38 miles an hour? The key for dragonflies is their compound eyes. Each eye is made up of as many as 30,000 six-sided facets. Those eyes can detect motion as far as 65 feet away. Watch out mosquitoes!

The other neat thing about dragonflies is their wings. Dragonflies can fly backwards, hover, and even loop-the-loop. Like bees and butterflies, dragonflies have four wings. But unlike bees and butterflies, dragonflies can move their front wings independent of their hind wings. It’s like four-wheel drive, but with wings.

A few years ago some scientists tethered dragonflies in a wind tunnel and took photos of their wings in flight. They discovered that dragonflies twist their wings on the down stroke, creating an airflow that generates enough lift to keep 15 – 20 times their weight in flight. Wouldn’t it be cool if aircraft could do that? You can bet some engineers are already on that.

Spend some time watching dragonflies this summer. You can help scientists learn more by becoming a "citizen scientist" for Dragonfly Pond Watch.


It's STEM Friday! Check out books and resources here.