Cicada Symphony Perfect Picture Book Friday

A vibrant, lyrical, and informative picture book about the wonders of cicadas.

text copyright Sue Fliess, 2023, illustrations copyright Gareth Lucas, 2023, Albert Whitman & Company

Who knew that cicadas have more than one set of eyes, or that males can't hear their own mating calls, or that a female can lay hundreds of eggs at one time? These are just a few of the fascinating facts that each page of this colorful book unearths. 

Told in rhyme, with informative sidebars scattered throughout the vivid illustrations, this beautiful and insightful picture book will help readers understand the cicada's life cycle, and better appreciate the role they play in the natural world. With a glossary of terms in the back, an author's note, and a diagram of a cicada, young learners will be equipped to go out and look for signs of cicadas, themselves.

Title:  CICADA SYMPHONY

Author:  Sue Fliess

Illustrator:  Gareth Lucas

Publisher:  Albert Whitman & Company, 2023

Ages:  4-8

Themes:  Nature/Wildlife, Community, Biology

Here are a few activities that align with the themes of this book:

• Go for a walk. Use your senses to try to locate cicadas. Do you hear their sounds? Observe their "chimneys" near tree trunks? Identify their molted exoskeletons? Record your observations.
• Make a list of animals that molt and choose one. Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast that animal with cicadas. How are the two similar? What are their differences? Click here for a printable Venn diagram template.
• ​Check out this website for more information about cicadas and for free printable worksheets and activities.
• Conversation starters: "What is one thing you learned about cicadas, after reading CICADA SYMPHONY?" "If you could have one of the cicada's characteristics, (ability to molt, multiple sets of eyes, etc...) which one would you want to have? Why?"

Looking for more perfect picture books? Check out Susanna Leonard Hill's website!