Books Get Buggy with Insect Themes
By Holly E. Newton

Bugs! Those creepy, crawly things can be very harmful to trees, plants, people and animals, but they also do much good in the world. They feed birds and other animals, spread pollen, make honey and some insects help the world in many unknown ways.

Whether or not you like bugs, most kids are fascinated with them. Since we're in the season when they thrive, here are some great new books, for ages 4 through 10 on the subject.

Big Bug Surprise, by Julia Gran, is a delightful picture book that teaches while it entertains. Prunella loves bugs. When you view the first full spread of her bedroom, it becomes evident. You see a bee mobile, an ant farm, a centipede aquarium, books about bugs and even a stuffed chair in the shape of a ladybug.

Prunella is having difficulty deciding which bug to bring to school for "show-and-tell," but just as she’s about to uncover her surprise bug, a bee flies into the room. She notices that it’s a queen bee and proclaims, “They never fly alone.” And when you turn the next page, you see a swarm of bees around the teacher’s head. Prunella deftly shows her knowledge of bees and bugs as she saves the day and teaches her classmates about insects. Julia Gran has drawn everything about Prunella to display her passion for bugs. Prunella is wearing a ladybug dress with the sleeves that look like wings. Even her eyes pop out like large bugs. The story is fun and interesting and you’ll find more information about insects located in the back of the book.

Sesame Subjects: My First Book about Insects, by Kama Einhorn, is a very easy to understand book about this subject. Grover introduces you to the basic principals of insects, their body parts and what they eat. Einhorn has written the text to sound just like Grover. You can almost hear his voice as you read the interesting information. The author has made the text kid-friendly for youngsters so that there isn’t too much — but enough to allow the reader to grasp what is being taught. There are brightly colored columns on many of the pages highlighting interesting trivia facts as well as “Grover’s Homework,” giving the reader fun activities to explore the concept on the page. And there are more activities located on the end page. Christopher Moroney illustrated the simple bright pictures, making this book an appealing read. And the board pages will help the book to last longer as kids will want to revisit it again and again.

If you’re not familiar with The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, you may be pleasantly surprised. The newest edition, My, Oh My — a Butterfly! All About Butterflies, by Tish Rabe, continues Dr. Seuss’s tradition of text and pictures. The Cat in the Hat is about to teach the reader about the amazing wonders and changes of the butterfly.

I’ve read many wonderful non-fiction books about butterflies, but this has to be one of the best for youngsters. The whole process is a fascinating subject and Tabe begins her rhyming story with a look at a butterfly egg. She emphasizes the importance of the caterpillar to eat and eat after hatching. There’s a funny illustration showing a child as large as a bus, when the author compares how quickly the insect grows to the child. “If we grew as fast as they do — this was funny to us — in two weeks, we each would be as big as a bus!” All of the pictures, by Aristides Ruiz and Joe Mathieu, have the same Dr. Seuss flair.

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And while we’re on a rhyming scheme, here’s a book of poems on this subject. Bugs: Poems about Creeping Things, by David L. Harrison, is a small-sized book with small-sized poems about these small-sized insects. Each poem fills the page, making it easy to pick up and read. Some are funny and some just seem to state the existence of the bug. The millipede poem will surely bring a smile to your face. “Millipede giggles wherever he goes. Grass tickles all of those toes.” The black and white drawings, by Rob Shepperson, are also simplistic and go perfectly hand in hand.

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Pest Fest, by Julia Durango, ends this infectious review on bugs by celebrating the insect that bugs us the most. Can you imagine which insect wins this award? Insects from far and wide are trying to win. Crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers and more vie for this pest award. But there is but one insect, above all, that rightly deserves it. You’ll have to read the book to discover the winner, but it definitely deserves to win. The text rhymes and would be a delightful read-aloud. “Pest Fest! Pest Fest! The Carpet Beetle barked. The Talent show is set to go. The bets are placed; come on, make haste! Let’s start the annual Pest Fest!” The beautiful watercolors, by Kurt Cyrus, completely fill the open spread.

Holly Evans Newton has taught kindergarten through 7th grades for 25 years. She received her B.S. from Utah State University in Logan, Utah, and her M.A. from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. She has three sons who have served full time missions, two younger daughters, plus four adorable grandchildren. She has been married to Dale Karl Newton for 34 years. Her husband has recently taken a new position in St. Paul, Minnesota. So Holly is now expanding her reviews to cover not only the MO and AZ areas but now the Twin Cities location as well.

Holly is the recent recipient of the prestigious Literacy Award presented to her by the International Reading Association. She writes a weekly children's book review for the largest distributed newspaper throughout mid-Missouri. She was seen for eight years on the NBC affiliate in Missouri and on the NBC affiliate in Phoenix for her weekly children’s book reviews. She will soon be seen on the NBC affiliate in Minnesota. She presents book presentations to schools where her knowledge, experience and enthusiasm are valued by educators, students and parents. What sets her apart from other reviewers is her goal to find the best books for kids by reading books cover to cover and making sure there is no inappropriate language or sexual content. You can find her past book reviews on her website: www.newtonsbook.com

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