PETERSON FIRST GUIDES: INSECTS (by Leahy). As the title suggests, these are the first field guides a beginning naturalist might use. A simplified version of the famous Peterson Field Guides, the Insects First Guide is a concise field guide to 200 common insects of North America. They make it easy to get started in the use of field guides and easy to graduate to the regular Peterson Field Guides. |
INSECTS: A GOLDEN GUIDE (by Zim, Cottam, and Irving). This handy guide to the most common, important and showy North American insects will help the novice begin a fascinating study. It includes a key to insect groups (adult and immature forms), how insects grow and develop and what they eat, and how to find and observe them. Full color pictures, nontechnical language, and up-to-date range maps make this a gem of a guide for beginners at any age. |
PETERSON FIRST GUIDES: BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS (by Opler). As the title suggests, these are the first field guides a beginning naturalist might use. A simplified version of the famous Peterson Field Guides, the Butterflies and Moths First Guide is a concise field guide to the most common butterflies and moths of North America. They make it easy to get started in the use of field guides and easy to graduate to the regular Peterson Field Guides. |
BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS: A GOLDEN GUIDE (by Mitchell and Zim). Butterflies and Moths is an inexpensive (less than $8) guide to many butterflies and moths. It contains no photographs, but the drawings are detailed and just as useful for identification as photos, if not more so. The book also contains drawings of caterpillars and pupae for many species. |
PETERSON FIELD GUIDE FOR YOUNG NATURALIST: BUTTERFLIES (by Latimer). This beginner series features the original art of Roger Tory Peterson. These guides incorporate both color photographs and line drawings with key field marks along with complete descriptions of each species’ habitat, food preferences, behaviors and songs. Designed to give young naturalists immediate success on their first natural history trip. Ages 7-12. |
PETERSON FIELD GUIDE FOR YOUNG NATURALIST: CATERPILLARS (by Latimer). This beginner series features the original art of Roger Tory Peterson. These guides incorporate both color photographs and line drawings with key field marks along with complete descriptions of each species’ habitat, food preferences, behaviors and songs. Designed to give young naturalists immediate success on their first natural history trip. Ages 7-12. |
PETERSON FIRST GUIDES: CATERPILLARS (by Opler). As the title suggests, these are the first field guides a beginning naturalist might use. A simplified version of the famous Peterson Field Guides, the Caterpillars First Guide is a concise field guide to 120 common caterpillars of North America. They make it easy to get started in the use of field guides and easy to graduate to the regular Peterson Field Guides. |
SPIDERS AND THEIR KIN: A GOLDEN GUIDE (by Levi, Levi, and Zim). There are very few books on spiders, and this is one of the best despite being an inexpensive (less than $8) kid's book. In addition to detailed drawings of most common types of spiders, this guide also covers many of the other non-insect arthropods found in the United States, including centipedes, millipedes, daddy-long-legs, mites, sowbugs, and a few other creatures. |
BUGS & SLUGS (POCKET NATURALIST). Lightweight, laminated, waterproof format makes this guide perfect for the field. Designed for beginners, information is presented logically based on what the viewer is most likely to observe. Compact 4” x 8” size opens out to 8” x 22”. Color pictures and information are located on both sides of the card. Perfect introductory guide for all ages and abilities. |
BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OF NORTH AMERICA (POCKET NATURALIST). Lightweight, laminated, waterproof format makes this guide perfect for the field. Designed for beginners, the information is presented logically based on what the viewer is most likely to observe. Compact 4” x 8” size opens out to 8” x 22”. Color pictures and information are located on both sides of the card. Perfect introductory guide for all ages and abilities. |