When I started the series “Now I Know What a ___ Is!”, a lot of people asked me: “Why bugs?”

The answer is simple: bugs are everywhere kids explore — backyards, parks, sidewalks, even windowsills. They’re the first wild creatures children meet. And most of the time, kids are more curious than cautious.

That’s why my books do three things at once:

• Make insects fun with bold illustrations and coloring pages.
• Teach kids the role each insect plays in nature.
• Show clearly which bugs are safe to handle, which are observe-only, and which are hands-off.

Every page is about balancing curiosity with care. Because learning how to respect insects is also learning how to respect nature itself.

And here’s the part I love most: every copy of these books helps me build real gardens and the Mushroom House Project. Books → Gardens → Families fed. That’s the cycle.

Stay tuned — the next insect is one of the largest, most colorful in the world: the Atlas Moth.

— Donald V. Dunham

The Hermit Author Who Turns Books into Gardens