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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 fina...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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. She begins enthusiastically: "May 17. I was born today!" On emerging from the egg case: "May 18. It was so crowded in the egg case. Really, really crowded--me and around 150 praying mantis brothers and sisters." Spanning late spring to mid-October, her breezy entries offer intriguing information about her species' growth,...Log In or Sign Up to Read More