Searching for Cicadas; Lesley Gibbes, illustrated by Judy Watson

I’m not overly familiar with the cicada, other than to say that they are the insects that make that loud clicking noise that fills the air on a summer’s eve. Lesley Gibbes and Judy Watson have produced a beautiful book that combines a lovely narrative with plenty of facts about cicadas.

Every summer grandpa and grandson pack up their tent, cooler and sleeping bags and head off to the reserve to hunt for cicadas. They love cicada spotting and have seen many different kinds on previous trips. This year, the grandson is desperate to see the lesser-spotted Black Prince, which his grandpa has informed him is, “As rare as hen’s teeth.”

This is a lovely story that shares the joyous relationship between grandparent and grandchild as they enjoy a camping trip together and partake in one of their favourite pastimes. It is a celebration of the wonderful world around us and the incredible insects, in this case cicadas, that we share the planet with. The two different fonts which are used in the book are for specific purposes. The narrative is written in one font and factual information is written in the other. And what a treat it is for the reader. The non-fiction facts are all relative to the narrative that is being told and I delighted in learning much about these noisy little insects.

The illustrations by Judy Watson are sumptuous and the drawings of the characters very much reminded me of the style of Quentin Blake. The first image of grandpa could easily be mistaken for the BFG. Her bold use of watercolours makes for truly impressive artwork and she has captured the beauty of nature perfectly. A truly gorgeous book that children will delight in, particularly those that have an interest in nature, especially cicadas.

Recommended for 5+.