Bugged-Out Books

Buzzing with delight and promising not to bite, bug-themed picture books provide a colorful, creative view of the largest group of Earth’s animals – insects and their relatives. From fanciful fireflies to picnicking ants, these books use bugs to teach counting concepts, the alphabet, days of the week, color identification and new foods. Some even prompt questions about ethics and personal character, while others offer simple bugged-out fun. Here’s a swarm of illustrated children’s books with a bug’s-eye view:

Recent Titles

Beetles and Bugs: A Maurice Pledger Nature Trail Book, by Maurice Pledger, Silver Dolphin Press, 2003; ages 4 to 8; $12.95.

The new bug book on the bookshelves, this is a vibrantly detailed book that even toddlers could love. Shaped like a board book with only 16 pages, the book brings unusual bugs to life with touch and feel illustrations. Rub the shiny green-jeweled June beetle and contrast it with the rough exoskeleton of a leatherback beetle. The book is enhanced with another layer of interaction: lift the flaps on the right-hand pages to reveal information about the different bugs – 63 in all.