The end pages show a vivid green pond with fish, lily pads, and cattails. We first meet the green darner dragonfly in spring, as it migrates. Simple text runs along the top of the page while lengthier explanations are tucked at the bottom. As readers follow the dragonflies' journey, they will see them lay eggs, hatch into nymphs, molt and grow, and finally crawl out of the water and hatch into a dragonfly. As a dragonfly, the male shows off his flying skills, catches insects, mates, and migrates.
From the detailed text, readers will learn the meaning of "migrate," "predator," and several other terms. It isn't clear from the text if all of the characteristics refer to green darner dragonflies, or if some other abilities (like dragonflies changing color to cool off) were woven in from other species. This also demonstrates my frustration with nonfiction books that focus on the male of the species with no clear delineation between the sexes - it starts with the females laying eggs, then a male hatches, but it's not clear if the males migrate, since they wouldn't be laying eggs, apparently a prime reason for migrating. Which leads to another item of confusion - it says the dragonflies migrate to lay eggs, but has them laying eggs when they return from migration at the beginning.
Verdict: So, it's not perfect. However, it's a great introduction to an interesting insect that's often overlooked and which many children can see at a local pond or other body of water. The multiple levels of text make it accessible to many ages and reading abilities. A good starting point for kids interested in insects and dragonflies.
ISBN: 9781585364107; Published March 2019 by Sleeping Bear Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium
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