Tag: bugs

September Picture Book Spotlight: Bugs

- Brittany Leave a comment

September is one of my favorite months because this is when our monarch butterfly friends pop out of their chrysalis and head south towards warmer weather. To celebrate the monarchs, below are some of my favorite butterfly and bug books to share with young people!

The Amicus Book of Bugs by Isobel Lundie
Learn about common Midwestern bug through beautiful mixed-media illustrations sure to pique the interests of young and less young readers!

 

The Very Impatient Caterpillar by Ross Burach
A modern take on a beloved tale, “The Very Impatient Caterpillar” is a witty and educational story sure to delight all readers and listeners. This book is a favorite of mine and I try to share it every year! Our impatient friend teaches young readers about butterflies and that patience is key!

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
One Sunday morning, a little caterpillar hatches from his egg, he then proceeds to eat his way through a week’s worth of food, resulting in a tummy ache. Young readers will learn the process from caterpillar to butterfly. I love sharing this classic and beloved story with young people each year.

Señorita Mariposa by Ben Gundersheimer illustrated by Marcos Almada Rivero
This bi-lingual book shows the flight pattern of the Monarchs from North America to Mexico. The illustrations by Rivero make me yearn for a trip to Mexico in the fall just to see trees covered in Monarchs!

 

Buzz, Buzz, Baby! by Karen Katz
Young readers are invited to lift flaps to reveal such insects as ladybugs, caterpillars, ants, and bees. – provided by our catalog

 

 

Slow Snail by Mary Murray
Follow Snail’s shiny trail as she slowly makes her way home for dinner. – provided by our catalog

 

 

I Don’t Want To Be a Frog by Dev Petty illustrated by Mike Boldt
A frog who yearns to be any animal that is cute and warm discovers that being wet, slimy, and full of bugs has its advantages. – provided by our catalog

 

 

Have you read any of these titles? I would love to hear about what you thought of them in the comments!

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

- Ann Leave a comment

beetle book“Line up every kind of plant and animal on Earth and one of every four will be a beetle.” If your reaction to this fact is an uncomfortable mix of fascination and horror, get your hands on The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins. In this fact-filled picture book (written for children, but hey, this twenty-something learned a lot reading it), there are big, beautiful illustrations of bugs: hissing cockroaches, June bugs, fireflies, dung beetles, ladybugs, and hundreds of other creepy crawlies – all of them beetles. The full-color bugs are set against ample white space and accompanied by thematically grouped facts. Small (or big!) all-black silhouettes on every page show the actual size of the beetles that have been magnified for illustrations. Staring down the five-inch mandibles of a six-spotted green tiger beetle gets a lot easier when its 3/4-inch-tall silhouette reminds you just how tiny the beast really is!

A few other great books for the budding naturalist or the latent scientist:

  • A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston, an artistically illustrated look at the life cycle of a butterfly. Lots of facts and gorgeous images make this appropriate for all ages. (if you like this, look at her others: An Egg is Quiet, A Rock Is Lively, and A Seed is Sleepy)
  • Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and Rick Lieder, a poem about the beauty and variety of nature illustrated with huge, zoomed-in photos of insects and plants.
  • You Are Stardust by Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim, a rumination on the interconnectivity of nature and humanity accompanied by lovely, lighthearted illustrations.