Where Are All the Christmas Beetles?

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By: Suzanne Houghton

eBook - November 2023 - eRetailers

Discover Australia's Christmas beetles and the mystery of why they are disappearing.

Sparkling, brightly coloured Christmas beetles usually appear in the heat of December – a sign that the festive season has begun. + Full description

But recently they have been hard to find. We aren’t seeing them in the eucalyptus trees, or dancing around lights at night. These shimmering, shiny beetles are disappearing from our summers. Where have they gone?

Where Are All the Christmas Beetles? takes us on a lyrical discovery of these fascinating creatures and explores the possible reasons for their decrease in numbers.

Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 5 to 9.

- Short description

News

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Reviews

"The book made me think a lot. It had a lot of other beetles in that I didn’t know about. It was a very interesting book and my favourite part was the beautiful drawings. I would recommend this book to the whole universe."
Pippa Welden (Age 8), Land for Wildlife, November 2023

"Where Are All the Christmas Beetles? is a great introduction to insect conservation for all ages.”
Dr Kate Umbers, Western Sydney University, Founding Managing Director of Invertebrates Australia

"With a delightful cover and gorgeous endpapers, rhyming prose and stunning illustrations, Where are all the Christmas Beetles? is a wonderful factual narrative to share with young children."
Kathryn Beilby, ReadPlus, 11 October 2023

"With a bouncy rhyming text that Smalls will love, followed up by a double page of information plus a glossary, this is as much a treasure as the beetles themselves. The illustrations are equally outstanding and I adore the end papers which feature a plethora of the many species of Christmas beetles in all their sizes, shapes and iridescent hues."
Sue Warren, Just So Stories, 12 October 2023

"Where Are All the Christmas Beetles? is an excellent introduction to the natural world, and will help excite children about insects. A great Christmas present or anytime present."
Kids' Book Review, 13 December 2023

"CSIRO Publishing produces excellent information picture books for young readers and this one is no exception... The verse is well-written with good scansion and rhyme and the text flows along nicely, especially when read aloud. This title would be a great addition to any library – home, educational or public."
Lynne Babbage, CBCA Reading Time, 25 October 2023

"Books are an ideal addition to fill children’s stockings and what better choice than the latest [CSIRO Publishing] publication entitled “Where are All the Christmas Beetles?” The illustrations in this book are truly superb and would appeal to young eyes... The book includes a glossary of scientific terms. This is a good lesson in vocabulary enrichment and also trains the young reader to seek out such appendices to further their understanding of their reading. Also, the expanded notes at the closure of the book offer a more formal and comprehensive account of this topic and this well serves the older child, seeking more detail and depth on the topic."
Judy Ferrier, Metamorphosis Australia, Issue 106, December 2023

Details

Hardback | November 2023 | $ 24.99
ISBN: 9781486317905 | 32 pages | 250 x 250 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour illustrations

ePDF | November 2023
ISBN: 9781486317912
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

ePUB | November 2023
ISBN: 9781486317929
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Available from eRetailers

Features

Showcases the features and life cycle of Christmas beetles through engaging text and stunning illustrations.
Highlights the importance of looking out for creatures we may take for granted.
Discusses possible reasons for the decline in sightings of Christmas beetles.
Includes informative facts about Christmas beetles.

Authors

Suzanne Houghton is an award-winning author and illustrator of several books, including Wonderful Wasps and Life in a Hollow. She loves nothing more than to splash colour on a page and bring joy to readers.