The Big Book of Bugs

by Yuval Zommer

Overview

A beautifully illustrated, informative book for children introducing them to bugs that creep, crawl, bite, fly, and more.

From moths and beetles to worms and spiders, the world is crawling with fascinating bugs. The Big Book of Bugs is the first fact-filled book for children to explore the vast array of creepy-crawlies that share our Earth.

In the first pages, children learn that bugs live nearly everywhere on the planet and gain tips on how to become a young bug spotter. As the book continues, the scenic compositions on each page are dedicated to key groups of bugs, including beetles, moths, butterflies, bees, snails, crickets, grasshoppers, worms, and spiders. Some spreads approach the world of bugs thematically, such as bugs that come out at night, baby bugs, and life cycles, how bugs hide and show off, and how some bugs love to live in your home. The conversational, funny text is also full of facts that will astonish children and adults, and accompanied by Yuval Zommer’s colorful illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500650677
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	04/18/2016
Series:	The Big Book Series
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	32,532
Product dimensions:	9.30(w) x 13.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Yuval Zommer is an author, illustrator, and environmentalist based in London. He studied at the Royal College of Art and worked for many years as a creative director at leading advertising agencies before becoming an author and illustrator. His award-winning Big Book series has now been published in thirty languages and has over 2 million copies in print.

Editorial Reviews

05/02/2016
Bugs of many varieties—including some that are a stretch to call bugs—pepper the pages of this guidebook, which poses playful questions (“Does a dragonfly breathe fire?”) that serve as lead-ins to more than 20 topics. Most spreads are devoted to specific creatures (beetles, ladybugs, termites); later pages explore how bugs grow, where they can be found, and some of the ecological roles they play. Airy digital illustrations with a collage-like feel lightly personify the bugs—earthworms have red smiles, and most of the bugs are, well, bug-eyed. Seek-and-find prompts invite eagle-eyed readers to identify bugs either by appearance or behavior (“Can you find... a spider hoping to catch a tasty meal?”). It’s a handsome introduction to tiny, oft-overlooked creatures, though the inclusion of worms, spiders, and even snails make the title something of a misnomer. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"An eye-catching and engaging introduction to bugs… . Individual bug groups (ants, dragonflies, bees, praying mantis, etc.) are shown on beautifully illustrated double-paged spreads buzzing with activity and awash with watercolor hues. Zommer’s detailed illustrations and seek-and-find feature will keep young readers enrapt, as they absorb entomological basics from the approachable, factoid-rich text."

Booklist

"This giant, splendidly illustrated book of bugs will have children reaching for a magnifying glass instead of that fly swatter. Bugs have never looked better than in Zommer's colorful, often comical little portraits and glorious natural backdrops, from gardens to ponds. Each artfully composed, oversized spread teems with life and mini-bug dramas, and the brief text is fun and accessible. By the end, two-legged whippersnappers will be convinced that bugs are not only intriguing and marvelous, but useful and deserving of respect."

Shelf Awareness

06/01/2016
Gr 2–4—Whimsically illustrated bugs with big eyes crawl, fly, dig, and swoop across the pages in great detail. The endpapers feature departing bees, and the title page challenges readers to find a blue fly 15 times. Beginning with a simple definition of what makes a bug a bug ("a particular kind of insect with sharp mouthparts to stab and suck up food"), the work goes on to use bold heading questions to introduce a relevant concept or quality (the question "Are all bugs the same?" prompts a look at the physical characteristics of snails, spiders, centipedes and millipedes, and worms). In most sections, kids are asked to spot a certain bug—encouraging them to develop their concentration skills. A "Did You Find" section provides the answers to the previous searches. There is a "Bug Words" page that defines specific terms in short sentences (for instance, "A bug smells and feels with feelers called antennae"). It should be taken into consideration that the book has a large trim size, which might make shelving difficult. VERDICT Reminiscent of Scholastic's "I Spy" series, this is an interactive book that will engage and entertain readers while they learn a few basic bug facts.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

School Library Journal