My Awesome Summer by P. Mantis - (Nature Diary) by Paul Meisel (Paperback)

About the Book

A praying mantis goes on a journey through the outdoors and encounters all sorts of interesting wildlife while exploring the aspects of its life cycle. There is factual information on the praying mantis at the beginning and ending of the story.

Book Synopsis

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
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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

Review Quotes

"[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

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(R) 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(R) 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.