Book Reviews: bugs, bugs, bugs!
Eric Carle is one of my favorite children’s authors and illustrators. His illustrations are colorful collages that older children might enjoy creating on their own.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle follows an industrious spider as she spins her web on a barnyard fence. Farm animals stop by to invite the spider to join in frolicking fun but the spider must spin her web. Children will join in making the animal sounds as their favorite barnyard animals stop by to visit the spider.
I give this book 5 out of 5 STACKS
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Are You a Grasshopper? and Are You a Ladybug? by Judy Allen and Tudor Humphries are cleverly written titles that you will find in the non-fiction section at your library. However, these books work well for school age children as an introduction into insect life cycles and characteristics. These fun books show children how grasshoppers and ladybugs develop and become grown insects by comparing their lifecycle to humans asking children to compare themselves to the insects. The questions about whether children eat aphids, as ladybugs do, always elicits squeals and groans of disgust as children imagine eating those tiny bugs. These books are a great way to introduce non-fiction titles to young school age children. Be prepared to add a stop in the non-fiction section to your next visit to the library or bookstore!
I give these books 5 out of STACKS
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One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes is one of my nephew’s favorite books. 100 hundred ants set off in search of a picnic feast, however the littlest ant fears that the single file line of 100 will take the ants too long to reach the picnic site. Antics ensue as the ants divided into two rows of 50, then four rows of 25, and so on. Dividing fun follows the ants on their picnic quest. Repetitive text will encourage the children to join in as the ants march in a row singing, “we’re going on a picnic! A hey and a hi dee ho!”
I read this story to a group of pre-k classes and they loved the text and were quick to notice the illustrations showing animals walking away from the ants with plates of picnic food. Will those little ants enjoy a picnic lunch?
I give this book 5 out of 5 STACKS
STACKGirl Cheryl – live, laugh & LOVE
Who doesn’t love Eric Carle? His book are timeless. Oh, and I love One Hundred Hungry Ants.