“Step Gently Out,” by Helen Frost, photographs by Rick Lieder, Candlewick Press, March 13, 2012, hardcover $15.99 (ages 2 and up)
Step gently out,
be still, and watch a single blade of grass.
An ant climbs up to look around.
A honeybee flies past
Each line in “Step Gently Out” asks readers to explore. The text simply explains each of the book’s stunning photographs — which just so happens to be bugs in their habitats.
Like the text, each of the images is simple in composition, yet complex in the details. The fuzz on a caterpillar becomes long and spikey, and a moth’s wings take on a hair-like quality when seen through a macro lens. Rick Lieder’s images combined with Helen Frost’s text give these tiny creatures the appearance of human personalities.
A final set of pages offers readers interesting facts about the insects and spiders. “Step Gently Out” offers a gentle introduction to creepy crawlies that even the most squeamish of child will find fascinating.
