Anyone who has spent a summer in the country has surely heard the chirping of crickets, a sound so cheerful and friendly that Charles Dickens once wrote: "To have a cricket on the hearth is the luckiest thing in the world!"

In this beautifully illustrated book, Miss Earle, who is a naturalist as well as an artist, writes about crickets with her accustomed scientific accuracy. She explains the development of a cricket, from nymph (or young cricket) to adult and how it differs from that of other insects, such as butterflies. She describes the cricket's anatomy, with special emphasis on its remarkable music-making equipment. She discusses its feeding habits - the cricket is far from a fastidious eater! She tells where crickets live and lists the various kinds. Finally, she explains exactly how to keep a cricket as a pet.

Miss Earle's own warm interest in all living creatures is contagious. Her obvious affection for crickets should direct the readers of this book to a host of small but extremely vocal new friends.

From the dust jacket