A Sense of the Beautiful: Life Cycles and Insects

and kindergarten students’ reactions almost 20 years ago when I read aloud Ladybugs and Other Insects from the Scholastic First Discovery series (Jeunesse and Peyrols 1989). The book, still in print, has transparent overlays that reveal with each page turn the fascinating life cycle of ladybugs. The pages are filled with abundant white space, drawing the young reader to the details of the insects. This was the first science book that had my students absolutely mesmerized. They often wanted to hear works of fiction read aloud again, but this was the first time they begged to be read a science book over and over again. And even though they couldn’t yet read many of the words by themselves, they poured over the illustrations during free reading time. We looked for and carefully netted insects on our walks around the schoolyard and through the adjoining woods. Our classroom filled with terrariums fashioned into temporary insect abodes and observatories. We cowrote observations in an oversized science notebook. We wondered together about all sorts of entomological questions that, in turn, led us to read more books about insects. This single book fueled an explosive interest in insects; it tapped into the children’s sense of wonder about the natural world in a way that had a profound impact on our classroom. Good books have amazing potential for connecting with children. For most scientists and educators, Rachel Carson’s famous words about nurturing a child’s thirst for learning ring true and familiar: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder..., he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in” (Carson 1965). What is often overlooked, however, is that Carson wasn’t speaking merely about helping children gain scientific understandings about biology. Carson goes on to say: