Whether your little one is intrigued by ladybugs and other brightly-colored beetles, your second-grader is doing a report on millipedes, or you have quick birthday party to attend and need a good gift for a child, Usborne First Nature series’ Creepy Crawlies is just what you need. It’s a wonderful introduction to both creepy and not-so-creepy bugs, from ants and dragonflies to scorpions and centipedes. There are even some bugs that you’ve probably never heard of yourself, such as the harvestman.

Like other books in the series, the book is packed with information and colorful pictures, so don’t let its under thirty page format fool you. Each double page spread is full of themed facts that will delight young readers—or make them squeal, “Ewww!” at least. The first two pages deal with an introduction to insects and their parts—such as the stinger and pinchers of a scorpion versus the thorax, abdomen, and head of a bee. The book does distinguish that some of these creatures are not insects; some of the invertebrates described are arachnids, for example.

The movement of invertebrates is described next. Some insects use their legs for mobility while others rely primarily on wing movement. Still others use things that you might not imagine—such as the hooks found on a fly’s feet. Knowing that all of these creatures are “bugs,” yet they are so different—with different parts, movement patterns, and adaptations—is sure to inspire a sense of wonder within children as they read more about the different kinds of invertebrates in the book.

Many other aspects of the lives of invertebrates are also covered—such as feeding, color and chemicals, how invertebrates reproduce and grow up, and more. Special sections are devoted to specific types of invertebrates, such as beetles, spiders, slugs and snails, and beetles. Like many other books in the series, it also contains some activities for children to complete, such as a picture puzzle at the back of the book.

The food page is particularly interesting because it draws meaningful comparisons between things that children might already understand, such as a fly’s mouth parts being compared to a sponge, or a snail’s tongue being compared to a file. It’s a book that really deconstructs the concepts associated with insects and makes them accessible to all readers. Plus, it’s just fun to learn about these fun facts! Who knows when they might come in handy during a trivia night?