In the tiny world of a meadow pond, life goes on with as much vigor and danger as it does in surroundings on a larger scale. Into the dazzle of a summer afternoon comes come the most brilliant of the pond's inhabitants—the dragonflies.
Green Darner is the biggest of the dragonflies that frequent the pond. He is about three inches long, strong, and wonderfully adapted to sighting and catching his prey and avoiding his enemies. An impressive insect, legends have accumulated about him and given him many popular names: "darning needle," "horse stinger," and "snake doctor." But the true account of his life is more satisfying. How he survives the constant struggle of eat-and-be-eaten, how he sustains his flashing existence above the waters of the pond, and how the small dragonfly eggs and nymphs mature beneath the surface is the substance of this factual yet delicate story.
Mr. McClung's expert drawings convey, as always, his warm interest in the living creatures about which he writes.
—from the dust jacket
Did you find this review helpful?