My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis

by Paul Meisel

Overview

Get a bug's-eye-view on the life cycle of the praying mantis, in this hilarious, scientifically accurate Nature Diary following an insect through her whole summer.

Finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books

"May 17: I was born today! It's a beautiful, sunny spring day!"

This is the diary of P. Mantis, one of 150 brothers and sisters born on a garden bush. P. Mantis is an amazing bug: she can make herself look like a stick to hide from predators, she can swivel her head all the way around, and when she's grown up she'll even be able to fly!

In dated journal entries P. Mantis describes the entirety of her life, sharing the fun and beauty of her world as well its little ups and downs ("I ate one of my brothers. Okay, maybe two"). Colorful, bold art helps illustrate the different stages of the mantis life cycle, and the engaging, narrative text is paired with more detailed information about praying mantises on the heavily-illustrated endpapers.

Washington Children's Choice Book Award 2019 Nominee
A New York Public Library Staff Pick for Children


Don't miss the other hilarious entries in The Nature Diary Series!

Each one explores the life cycle of an animal in dated journal entries, showing young readers how they grow and change through the seasons— and offering a few laughs, too! Brightly illustrated and vetted by experts, Paul Meisel's books are a perfect introduction to your backyard neighbors.

My Happy Year by E. Bluebird
A Junior Library Guild Selection

My Stinky Summer by S. Bug
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823440061
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	05/08/2018
Series:	A Nature Diary , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	684,495
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Paul Meisel is the author and illustrator of two Theodor Seuss Geisel Award Honor books, See Me Run and I See a Cat, both I Like to Read® books. He is also author and illustrator of See Me Dig, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book and See Me Play, also I Like to Read® books. He has written and illustrated nonfiction in the Nature Diary series: My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis (AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist, Science Best Books for Curious Kids, Virginia Readers' Choice) and My Happy Year by E. Bluebird (a JLG selection). The Schmutzy Family, written by Marilyn Rosenberg and illustrated by Paul Meisel, was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist. Paul lives in Connecticut.

Editorial Reviews

This celebration of nature's strangenesses and wild wonders is narrated by a…fascinating critter…She is humorously unapologetic—she is who she is, in all her wonder. And, she is hungry.

The New York Times Book Review - Samantha Hunt

"[a] celebration of nature's strangeness and wild wonders."—The New York Times Book Review

"Lush, colorful illustrations that present riots of leaves and blooms that initially capture the eye reveal garden violence on closer inspection."—Kirkus Reviews

"Meisel uses gorgeous, vividly painted illustrations and a gentle text to share the story of the life cycle of a praying mantis. . . . The perfect introduction to the life cycle of the praying mantis for those ready to handle a mantid-eat-mantid world."—School Library Journal

"The bright, large-scale illustrations are full of details, which readers will likely delight in poring over, especially in wide-angle scenes where P. Mantis might be harder to spot. Perfect for . . . readers who like education with a dose of entertainment."—Booklist

"In a pithy journal-like text, first-person (first-insect?) narrator P. Mantis provides readers with an up-close look at her five-month-long life cycle."— Horn Book

From the Publisher

05/01/2017
K-Gr 2—P. Mantis joins the world on a beautiful sunny spring day in May. She is happy to share the aphid-covered bush on which she is born with her 150 brothers and sisters. As she doesn't yet have wings, her defenses against predators include pretending to be a stick and blending in with her environment using camouflage. P. Mantis sheds her skin several times as she grows quickly over the course of the summer. When the aphids are gone, P. Mantis snacks on other insects, including her own siblings. When her wings finally come in, P. Mantis can move about more freely, but there are many dangers to avoid—spider webs, flying bats and birds, and other hungry creatures. In October, P. Mantis returns to the bush where she was born to lay her own egg case, which will hatch in the spring. As winter approaches, she settles into a deep sleep. Meisel uses gorgeous, vividly painted illustrations and a gentle text to share the story of the life cycle of a praying mantis. The book is formatted like a series of first-person journal entries, and it is easy to follow the journey of the young mantid. Children will learn the time line for each developmental stage that the insect goes through. Although the circle of life can be harsh at times, this tale is told in a light and even humorous way. Back matter is chock-full of facts that will pique the interest of those eager to learn more. VERDICT The perfect introduction to the life cycle of the praying mantis for those ready to handle a mantid-eat-mantid world.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal

2017-02-01
A journallike text paired with detailed illustrations recounts the day-to-day life of a praying mantis.Born in the springtime and mature in the summer, P. Mantis' diary entries are laced with a dry humor as she recounts such adventures as shedding her skin, eating her siblings and other insects, nearly being eaten by another sibling, and enjoying the great outdoors before laying her eggs and lying down to "take a long nap" in the fall. The wry, first-person voice ("I ate one of my brothers. Okay, maybe two") seems a bit at odds with the beautiful acrylic paintings. Lush, colorful illustrations that present riots of leaves and blooms that initially capture the eye reveal garden violence on closer inspection as readers finally zero in on the protagonist chowing down on a sibling, headfirst. Their immediate loveliness may have readers wondering whether perhaps a more cartoonish style would be a better fit for the text, akin to Harry Bliss and Doreen Cronin's Diary of a Worm (2003). This general criticism aside, there's much to appreciate about this fact- and humor-laden picture book, including its front and back endpapers, which are jammed with information about praying mantises. Though the rather jarring juxtaposition of text and art styles keeps it from being totally awesome, this is a fun and fascinating read. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews