A new, fresh take on the world of bugs, inspired by the blockbuster science exhibition Bug Lab, brought to Wellington this summer by Te Papa and Weta Workshop. Illustrated with up-close, dramatic bug photography throughout, The Genius of Bugs is filled with bug tales, facts and figures that showcase bug ingenuity and reveal astounding bug behaviour. Featuring New Zealand and international examples, children will be entranced by these inspiring bugs and remarkable recent discoveries about their genius. Meet a roll call of some of the worlds most incredible bugs from the sneaky portia spider to the killer brain-surgeon jewel wasp, to New Zealands king of the creepies, the weta. Discover amazing bug behaviour around the themes of: fearsome bug weapons; precision engineering; scams and deceptions; awesome teamwork. Has a companion activity book for sale separately. Shortlisted for the 2017 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in the Elsie Locke Award for Non-Fiction category.

What are arachnids? How do spiders differ from harvestmen, pseudoscorpions, mites and ticks? What makes the arachnid species that are unique to Aotearoa so special? How are webs made? How do they hunt prey, eat and defend themselves? Where do they live? Which are venomous? Which can you find in your house? What makes some arachnids the stuff of nightmares? In this fun-filled, fact-rich, and highly illustrated book, award-winning science writer Simon Pollard and Te Papa spider expert Phil Sirvid share the magic, secrets, mysteries and marvels of Aotearoa New Zealand's abundance of eight-legged beasties, from microscopic mites to spiders as large as your hand. They also profile some of the men and women who have helped build our knowledge in this area.

Why is our place magic? Why are its islands shaky? Why are our mountains tall and our forests green? Why are some lakes so blue? What happens below the waves? Who used to live here? What changed when mammals arrived? What happens in the dark? In this fun-filled, fact-rich book, award-winning science writer Simon Pollard shares the magic, secrets, mysteries and marvels of Aotearoa New Zealand's natural world.