One long line: Marching caterpillars and the scientists who followed them by Loree Griffin Burns, illustrated by Jamie Green

 I fell in love with the layout of this book as much as the content. It's the first book in a planned series, "Discovery Chronicles" from mit Kids Press and it's formatted like a slightly oversized chapter book but with just under 60 pages. The text is broken up by simple green-gray illustrations and follows the experiments of Jean-Henri Fabre and Terrence Fitzgerald.

Fabre, a well-known entomologist of the late 1800s, briefly performed some simple experiments and observed pine processionals, a type of caterpillar who march in long lines. His conclusions were reviewed approximately 70 years later by Terrence Fitzgerald who began studying insects and specialized in tent caterpillars, leading to an interest in processionaries as well. His experiments disproved some of Fabre's conclusions but also expanded scientific knowledge of these insects. The book is as much about the method of experimenting and asking questions (there is a warning before the sacrifice of some caterpillars to the experiment) as it is about the specific knowledge of these insects.

This book strikes a nice note between readers who don't want to pick up a book that looks like a picture book but are equally reluctant to tackle a full-length chapter book. Burns writes clearly and simply, creating an interesting narrative that kids with an interest in insects and science will be happy to follow.

Verdict: A strong start to a new series, this should fill a gap for nonfiction readers and be a strong selection for most libraries.

ISBN: 9781536228687; Published May 2024 by mit Kids Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to library order list