Children are fascinated by ‘bugs’ of all kinds, and insects are a familiar part of their everyday environment.

Dragonflies and ants, beetles and stick insects, butterflies and bees are just some of the many insects that are found in the home and garden, providing youngsters with a handy introduction to the natural world.

This book presents:

• 58 of the most common, intriguing and beautiful species accurately illustrated in full-colour

• concise text and simple graphics conveying the insect’s size, when it is active and what it eats

• straightforward text for children beginning to read in their mother tongue

• parallel texts in Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu for older learners who wish to improve their knowledge of other languages.

• Vivid and scientifically accurate illustrations in full colour

• Clearly and concisely written for children who are starting to read, but also suitable for adults to read to young children

• Additional information given in easy visual clues

How does the sea snake swim? What is a 'hinged' tortoise? Who cleans a crocodile's teeth? Do toads cause warts? How do some frogs survive the dry season?

Children will find the answers to these questions – and many other interesting facts – while enjoying hours of fun colouring in a selection of our most striking reptiles and amphibians (frogs and toads).

There are more than 40 to colour in, each providing budding artists and inquisitive children with a snippet of knowledge as they work through the book. In the middle of the book is a gallery of all the featured creatures, but this time in colour, giving a clear guide as to which shade of crayon or paint to use when colouring in the outlined images throughout the book.

Why does the African Jacana have long toes? What colour is the Cape Parrot? Which bird feasts on wild figs? And where does the Diderick Cuckoo lay its eggs?

Children will find the answers to these questions - and lots more interesting facts - while enjoying hours of fun colouring in a selection of our most beautiful birds.

There are more than 40 to colour in, helping budding artists and young children learn something about each as they work through the title. In the middle of the title is a gallery of all the birds, but this time in colour, giving a clear guide as to which crayons or paints to use when colouring in the outlines on the other pages.

Children will enjoy hours of fun colouring in this selection of our most striking seashore life – more than 40 of the brightest, most fascinating, commonly known creatures and plants from our local shores.

In the middle of the book is a full-colour gallery of all the featured shore life, giving a clear guide as to which shade of crayon or paint to use when colouring in the outlined images throughout the book.

As they work through the book, budding artists and inquisitive children will also be able to pick up snippets of knowledge about the creatures, such as how the colourful sea anemone overpowers its prey; whether the sponge is an animal; how the starfish pulls its stomach outside of its body to eat; why the hermit crab's homes are all second-hand; and the bag of tricks used by that master of disguise, the octopus.

Colouring-in is a favourite children’s pastime, and here’s a new addition to Struik Nature’s ‘Read, colour and keep’ series that will give hours of fun, while also expanding children’s knowledge of the natural world.

Why is Bulbine such a useful plant? Which flowers can we eat, and which are poisonous? What is South Africa’s national flower? Why do some flowers give off a rotten smell? Who pollinates our beautiful flowers?

Children will learn interesting facts while enjoying hours of fun colouring in this selection of our most striking flowers. They can consult the colour guide in the middle of the book when choosing which shade of crayon or paint to use for the more than 40 outlined images – or make up their own fantastically-hued flowers!

Why do elephants flap their ears? Which big cat leaps into the air to catch birds? How do bushbabies get their name?

Discover the answers to these questions and enjoy hours of colouring fun with the latest addition to our Read, colour and keep series. There are more than 40 animals to colour in, each illustration providing budding artists and inquisitive children with interesting facts as they work through the book.

The centre spread contains a pull-out gallery of all the animals in full colour. These can serve to guide children in colouring in the outlined images – or they can simply use their imagination!

How do Corn crickets produce their high-pitched sounds? Which insect has a forked horn on the front of its head? Where does the small scarlet dragonfly scatter its eggs? Which bug is named after a famous artist?

Children will find the answers to these questions - and many other interesting facts - while enjoying hours of fun colouring in a selection of our most striking insects.

There are more than 40 images to colour in, providing budding artists and young children with enticing snippets of knowledge as they work through the title. In the middle of the title is a gallery of the insects, but this time in colour, giving a clear guide as to which shade of crayon or paint to use when colouring in the outlines on the other pages.

Frogs are appealing and colourful creatures. Children may be familiar with stages of the frog’s curious life cycle, and see their eggs or tadpoles in local streams; and everyone has heard their calls. My first book of Southern African frogs introduces 55 different types of frog and includes a CD of their calls. A short introduction outlines key features and includes an illustration detailing their life cycle. For each species featured, the book provides: A short description in four languages, including key features and habits; A full-colour illustration of the frog and a visual size comparison with a human hand or matchstick; A distribution map, illustration of the type of eggs the frog lays and an indication of each frog’s conservation status; An illustrated habitat bar with an arrow to indicate where each creature is found. This simple and charming introduction to frogs will keep children happily absorbed for hours. The text in four languages expands the readership and promotes multilingualism.

This fun and educational children's colouring book includes drawings of 44 European insects to colour and learn about. It will inspire kids to explore their surroundings to discover what creepy crawly beetle or beautiful butterfly is hiding in their own backyard. Each insect is featured on a full-page with a title and a caption stating an interesting fact about the bug. Children will learn to identify common insects as well as get hours of enjoyment colouring. The book also has four centre-pages with smaller colour images of all the insects included so children can colour in their insects accurately if they want to. The drawings are detailed, but accessible and include many butterflies, beetles, bees, caterpillars, ladybirds, moths, dragonflies, grasshoppers, wasps and crickets.