Where are all the Christmas Beetles? by Suzanne Houghton

As the festive season drew closer in days long past, it was exciting to see the arrival of the Christmas Beetle. With its sparkling metallic-looking body, it was a sure sign for excited children that Christmas was edging closer. Sighting the Christmas Beetle now is no longer as easy as it once was, and thankfully talented author and illustrator Suzanne Houghton has introduced this fascinating but slowly disappearing insect to a new generation of readers. With a delightful cover and gorgeous endpapers, rhyming prose and stunning illustrations, Where are all the Christmas Beetles? is a wonderful factual narrative to share with young children.

Their glistening little bodies
look like baubles on a tree.
When they cluster altogether,
it’s a wondrous sight to see.

The cleverly constructed text gives factual information about physical characteristics of the Christmas Beetle, their diet, habitat and the life cycle, which is skilfully illustrated across a double page spread. The book showcases other beetles; chafer, lawn, stag and dung that are similar but not quite the same. There are also important ideas shared about what might be happening to cause the decline in Christmas Beetle numbers.

Each year, bushfires burn the trees
the beetles like to eat.
And surviving through tough times of drought
can be quite a tricky feat

In the final pages there is a glossary and further detailed information about the Christmas Beetle with highlighted key words. This book is another valuable resource from CSIRO Publishing that will be a welcome addition to a home, school or public library.

Teacher notes: https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/8140#forteachers

Themes: Australian Insects, Seasons, Drought, Bushfires, Habitat Loss, Rhyme.

Kathryn Beilby