Review by Booklist Review
Dragonflies ignore humans, and most humans rarely notice dragonflies, according to astronomer and entomologist Van Dokkum. Unlike most people who prefer butterflies (if they care for any insect), the author spends much of his time at ponds in New England with his camera, seeking dragonflies and their cousin damselflies to photograph, and this colorful album documenting the lives of the order Odonata is the result. Van Dokkum shows all stages of dragonfly life, beginning with nymphs, which are voracious and frightening carnivores, very unlike herbivorous caterpillars that become butterflies. After metamorphosis, adult dragonflies continue as carnivores, mostly eating other insects. Although not a field guide for species identification, this book reveals the beautiful variety of meadowhawks, pondhawks, skimmers, darners, and other types of dragonflies. It will be a welcome addition to public- and school-library nature collections.--Roche, Rick Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Dragonflies can hover, fly upside-down, catch their prey and eat it in midair, and zoom at speeds of 30 mph. Insect photographer van Dokkum (Sol Goldman Family Professor of Astronomy, astronomy chair, Yale Univ.) captures these masters of flight in a collection of gorgeous photographs of dragonflies and damselflies. A great variety of species with a wide range of colors and markings are depicted. The first chapter focuses on metamorphosis, showing images of dragonflies and damselflies exiting their nymph exoskeletons. Other sections portray anatomy, flight, perching, mating, and hunting. A segment featuring dragonflies covered in sparkling morning dew drops is particularly dazzling; also superb are the pictures of damselflies forming heart shapes as they mate. The last chapter, a little melancholy but still beautiful, depicts many of the ways in which dragonflies die, such as being eaten by spiders or birds. VERDICT A lovely volume to pair with Forrest L. Mitchell and James L. Lasswell's A Dazzle of Dragonflies, van Dokkum's vivid compilation of photographs is a treat for nature lovers. The accompanying text is poetically written and a fascinating introduction to the distinct characteristics of these creatures.-Laurie Neuerburg, Victoria Coll.-Univ. of Houston Lib. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
