A good way to bug your parents

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2008

You're on a jungle expedition and discover a Rhinoceros Beetle--reportedly the strongest creature on Earth. Using a branch-shaped radio controller, you direct it to crawl forward, then turn in reverse. It moves like the real insect, leading with its horn. Wishing to switch to a different critter, you lift off the Rhino's shell and replace it with that of the Hercules Beetle or Hissing Cockroach. How creepy, crawly, and cool is that?! These yucky yet delightful RC Arthropods from Discovery Kids--a branch of the Discovery Channel Store, Inc., Berkeley, Calif.--are sculpted from real specimens and created to be exact replicas of the actual creatures.

Now, when it comes to learning about the actual bugs in your backyard, Discovery Kids still has your budding entomologist covered with the Spark Talking Bug Identifier, a magnifying glass that asks a series of yes-no questions of the holder to help him or her identify an insect or learn basic facts about it. Simply press the question button and the Talking Bug Identifier quizzes you on what you see and you respond by pushing either the yes or no button. (Ah-ha! No need to panic, that long-legged creature turned out to be a harmless Daddy longlegs. Whew!)

The kit includes a talking bug identifier, three plastic bugs, a parent guide, and a kid's field guide. The required two AAA batteries are not included. For more information, visit discoverykids.com.

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