Good trick, walking stick by Sheri Mabry Bestor, illustrated by Jonny Lambert

I'm not sure how I missed these excellent collaborations between Bestor and Lambert, but I'm catching up now!

Bestor's cheerful text starts with little walking stick eggs tumbling to the ground where they are buried beneath the snow and guarded by ants. In spring, little green walking sticks wiggle out and start their munching. The reader follows one particular walking stick as she eats, grows, molts, and grows again. When predators show up, she blends into the tree. "Good trick, walking stick!" She shows off many different ways she defends and camouflages herself until she lays her eggs and another generation of walking sticks are ready to perform their tricks.

The simple, read-aloud text is combined with longer paragraphs for older children explaining how and why the ants care for the walking stick eggs, how walking sticks molt, and other aspects of their lives. Lambert's colorful collages show walking sticks in an array of greens and browns delicately walking through a green forest.

Verdict: This combines the best of easy nonfiction; text that makes a great read-aloud and attractive illustrations that are accurate enough to identify the flora and fauna in real life. A strong addition to nature collections and nonfiction storytimes.

ISBN: 9781585369430; Published 2016 by Sleeping Bear Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library