Children's Books discussion

A Butterfly is Patient and other books are available on Tumblebooks, a service that presents animated picture-books online that your library might subscribe to.

I went through my library's website to find this page: https://www.tumblebooklibrary.com/Vie....

I haven't gotten around to using the site much yet, and they don't have a zillion titles, but it's very much worth checking out.

The Worm Family Has Its Picture Taken Pure fiction but nice to see worms in the spotlight. So cute and fun to read! Has a nostalgic feel (I think this family must be related to Lowly Worm!) with a message that is more important now than ever. Be proud of who you are, don't try to change how you look to be like someone you think might be more cool or more special than you. The illustrations are full of detail.

I realize worms are not technically "bugs" but I am painting with a broad brush this month to include spiders, pill bugs, etc. so I figured why not let worms in? I know many kids who like bugs like worms and I know I won't ever like worms enough to devote an entire theme to them on their own ;-) This book also has a butterfly in it :-)

That is great info, Cheryl. Thank you!

With worms in mind, I did not really like Julia Donaldson’s picture book Superworm, mostly because the antics the children engage in with their worm friend look kind of physically painful for worms to my eyes and I sure would not want kids thinking that using a worm like a skipping rope etc. is an acceptable way of acting.

Manybooks wrote: "With worms in mind, I did not really like Julia Donaldson’s picture book Superworm, mostly because the antics the children engage in with their worm friend look kind of physically p..."

Thanks! I initially was thinking all manner of "creepy crawlies" for this theme (which would include worms) but I dislike the term so didn't use it. I'll be sure to clarify in the opening post. If any of you can think of a better term that would encompass what I'm trying to convey, please let me know :-)

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "With worms in mind, I did not really like Julia Donaldson’s picture book Superworm, mostly because the antics the children engage in with their worm friend look ki..."

And in the legends and mythologies of the past, dragons were often also known as worms.

Moth & Butterfly: Ta Da! Moth & Butterfly: Ta Da! Cute for the little ones. Nice blend of fun + educational. The story shows moth and butterfly as friends when they are both caterpillars but then the challenges their friendship faces (but, ultimately, endures) once they go through metamorphosis and one turns into a butterfly and the other into a moth. I don't know enough about moths and butterflies to know if it's accurate that they have a similar length metamorphosis or would eat from the same plant (might be some artistic license there.) The illustrations are vibrant and cartoony but it's clear to see important differences between moths and butterflies, such as the butterfly has thin antennae with club-shaped tips and the moths have feathery antennae. The "Is it a moth or a butterfly?" section at the back has a few more details, but the story itself is sufficient to convey the main differences (including butterflies being brightly colored, moths being duller... butterflies are diurnal, moths are nocturnal--I do know that there are exceptions to these rules, which is not pointed out in the text. Again, I think for the target audience it is okay but if your child is particularly excited to learn about insects you will need more). No bibliography or suggestions for further study.

Apples and Butterflies: A Poem for Prince Edward Island

This sweet poem is not really about butterflies but they appear in the text as well as in the illustrations and I do highly recommend this book (and also for own voices as the author is African Canadian from Nova Scotia).

Absolutely magical, Shauntay Grant’s presented poetry does in her Apples and Butterflies picture book show with gracefully delightful lyricism a young African Canadian girl’s fond and almost ecstatic remembrances of a family autumn vacation to Prince Edward Island (with of course the traditional red cliffs and roads, the absolutely immense and all encompassing beauty of the sea, with Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and of course also the apples and butterflies of the book title), a fond (and sometimes even a bit yearning) recalling of family holiday fun and togetherness in the perhaps smallest but for many also considered the most beautiful and culture and history heavy Canadian province, an enchanting text in which Shauntay Grant exuberantly remembers both the joys of family vacation time and also the often, no the always breathtaking natural wonders and beauty of P.E.I.

And accompanied by Tamara Thibaux Heikalo’s aesthetically spectacular artwork (pictures that glowingly show both the visual splendours of Prince Edward Island and yes indeed equally and just joyfully the little girl who narrates Apples and Butterflies and remembers her family’s vacation time on The Island), for me, Apples and Butterflies is actually and in fact not only a five star offering because of the sweet and full of tenderness depiction of family holidays spent on Prince Edward Island. For yes, while Apples and Butterflies can be and should be described as an “own voices” picture book (with both author and illustrator being African Canadian), I personally find it majorly cheering that Shauntay Grant’s poetic verses could really be of any ethnicity, that they are a totally generic and sweet vacation memory that ANY LOVING FAMILY might have and experience (and indeed, the only reason one even knows that Apples and Butterflies represents an African American family experience is that Tamara Thibaux Heikalo’s artwork visually portrays an African American family, and I for one think that this is in fact a strong positive, since in many ways, we have more similarities than differences and that needs to be shown with appreciation and celebration).

Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'creepy crawlies' than some of their parents might be. I found it delightful, and I'm a sucker for the art style. I love the cleverness of the improvised costumes the other kids have, and how they use their imaginations. And how they get to explore a huge back yard area with woods & all, and no supervision.

Manybooks wrote: "Apples and Butterflies: A Poem for Prince Edward Island

This sweet poem is not really about butterflies but they appear in the text as well as in the illustrations and I do highly ..."

I've really wanted to get this since I saw your original review. I hope ILL will come through for me!

Cheryl wrote: "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'creepy crawlies' than some of their parents might be...."

Oh, that's right! Ladybug Girl! I read the first book ages and ages ago and loved the art but found the story kind of flat and the conflict resolution uninspired. However, after your positive review, maybe I should give this Bug Squad a try -- sounds good. It's been a long time since I read the first, anyway, so maybe I'd feel differently.

Kathryn wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'creepy crawlies' than some of their pa..."

If you are going to try the first book of the series (Ladybug Girl) make sure that the book you will be using is the more recent 2015 edition where the illustrations on the back papers of Ladybug Girl wearing a Native American headdress have been removed. And kudos to David Soman and Jacky Davis for taking the objections voiced by Native American activists like Debbie Reese seriously and actually making a change.

I am probably not going bother officially reviewing John Himmelman’s A House Spider's Life. But yes, this a decent albeit a bit simplistic picture book about how house spiders live.

If reviewing, probably a three star rating for an engaging and informative basic text with detailed realistic looking illustrations, good as a general introduction to house spiders for younger children, but to have a higher rating for A House Spider's Life, I would also want supplemental information on spiders in general (such as spiders being arachnids and not insects, as well as John Himmelman pointing out that house spiders are in fact NOT pests but a very good method of controlling potentially harmful insects), not to mention that a bibliography also should be included.

Cricket in the Thicket: Poems about Bugs Nice to see some poetry about bugs for a change (and most of the poems are quite well done). The illustration style wasn't my favorite, but it worked well enough. Educational and entertaining. The supplemental material in the back includes more detailed information on insects featured in the poems.

Manybooks wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'creepy crawlies' than ..."

Thanks for the heads up. That is great that they changed the offending illustrations in the new edition!

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'cree..."

And really, since there was nothing in the story itself about dressing up as a Native American, that headdress picture was in my opinion also totally gratuitous which makes this even worse.

Cool Crickets is a 'Smithsonian Little Explorer' and I see evidence that this is a good series. It checks all the boxes: ranges & number of species of each kind, big bright photos, plenty of back matter inc. glossary, accessible to littles and also to newly independent readers, etc. I expected to skim it, but I actually enjoyed it so much (and it's so short) that I read it all.

Although Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt is of course first and foremost about gardening, the presented text also shows that there are many insects that benefit gardens, that not all insects are potential pests.

Everything Bug: What Kids Really Want to Know about Insects and Spiders

Bad title, as it's far from inclusive or exhaustive. and much of what is presented would actually be familiar to many members of the target audience. But still I love the premise of "Kids' FAQs." Good supplement to a more comprehensive unit on bug-type critters, or a fun read for fans... and two pages worth of resources.

These sound good, thank you. We are in the midst of horrible smoke and an unrelenting heatwave so I've picked up a big stack of books from the library and hope to get another next week. One of the few silver linings to being stuck indoors. Hope to post back with more reviews soon.

Everything Bug: What Kids Really Want to Know about Insects and Spiders is already in our stack from the last visit :-)

Kathryn wrote: "These sound good, thank you. We are in the midst of horrible smoke and an unrelenting heatwave so I've picked up a big stack of books from the library and hope to get another next week. One of the ..."

Hope you have AC, as for those without it, this would be even more of an issue. And I bet, many probably do not, for if Idaho is anything like Western Canada, usually it was always cool enough after dark to not require ACs, but with the relentless heat and wildfires even the nights are probably too warm and keeping windows open with all that smoke not at all healthy.

Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is definitely fun and entertaining, with not only a delightful creep out effect but also presenting an important message that we need to become more adventurous with regard to food and to also accept that foods made from so-called bugs are legitimate food items and actually both edible and often very nutritious.

Manybooks wrote: "Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is definitely fun and entertaining, with not only a delightful creep out effect but also presenting an important message that we need to become more adventu..."

Ooh, good one. I gave it four stars when I read it.

Cheryl wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is definitely fun and entertaining, with not only a delightful creep out effect but also presenting an important message that we need to b..."

It was really fun!

Manybooks wrote: "Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is definitely fun and entertaining, with not only a delightful creep out effect but also presenting an important message that we need to become more adventu..."

That does sound like a memorable book! And, yes, good to point out that many do eat bugs and they are very nutritious.

The following would be good as read-alouds for preschoolers or for kiddos just learning to read:

One Hundred Shoes Fun! "Centipede, Centipede, how do you choose? Where do you shop for one hundred shoes?" Adorable centipede (and I am not a fan of real-life centipedes!), imaginative, entertaining rhyming story. It's supposedly a "Math Reader" (we've read some of Ghigna's others) but the math is basically just two pages: "Shoes come in pairs. Pairs are so nifty. Two shoes in each pair, so you will need fifty" and "Or do you buy sets? Five sets of twenty? Ten sets of ten? I hope they have plenty!" A Step into Reading "Step 1" book.

Bug Dipping, Bug Sipping Another fun rhyming text with adorable bugs. Every insect in the text is simply called a "bug" -- which works with the theme and rhyme scheme, and is suitable for very little ones during a cozy read-aloud where the adult can help with labeling them or answer questions... but budding independent readers will probably need adult help to read the "Bug Facts" at the back that actually identifies each insect (and clarifies that the spider is actually an arachnid) and provides a tiny bit of info on each one.

Manybooks wrote: "Hope you have AC, "

Thank you! Yes, we do, and I'm very grateful. I feel so badly for those without AC and those who have to work outdoors in these conditions. I'm glad that this year people can at least go more safely into places with AC, libraries are open, etc. so hopefully those without AC can beat the heat.

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Hope you have AC, "

Thank you! Yes, we do, and I'm very grateful. I feel so badly for those without AC and those who have to work outdoors in these conditions. I'm glad that this..."

Has it gotten any cooler?

Butterfly Tree Based on Markle's own childhood experience of seeing a mysterious orange cloud one morning at Lake Erie, wondering (and worrying) what it might be... something magical? something scary? When she goes with her mother to the woods, she sees hundreds and hundreds of Monarch butterflies resting in the trees like orange leaves. (I do wish that the family dog hadn't followed them and disturbed the butterflies, but I suppose it made for the beautiful "cloud" of butterflies fluttering all around them.) Three stars for the story and illustrations but I'll bump up to four stars for the back matter, which provides a bit more information about Monarch migration and some good suggestions for further reading and online resources.

Manybooks wrote: "Has it gotten any cooler?."

Not really :-( I think the heat dome is gone over the Pacific NW (their temperatures have gone down) thank goodness but it's still been over 100 degrees here almost every day this month which is unheard of for this area -- and it's forecast to be high 90s to over 100 until the end of the month. It's really alarming. Morning temperatures are a bit cooler, at least, but with the smoke it's not good to have windows open so still a struggle for those without AC. Between heat and smoke we are still cooped up. I'm grateful for our AC but we are starting to get cabin fever. I heard children's board games are back on the shelf at the library in the neighboring town, so planning to make a trip out there this week to get some new screen-free entertainment for the kiddos :-) Hope weather and air quality are good where all of you are!

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "Has it gotten any cooler?."

Not really :-( I think the heat dome is gone over the Pacific NW (their temperatures have gone down) thank goodness but it's still been over 100 degre..."

Had a bit too much rain lately, and feeling a bit tropical but nothing like for you or like in parts of Europe.

Although I think that Mick Inkpen’s Billy's Beetle would make a fun and entertaining read aloud, if I were actually reading this to a child or a group of children I would also point out that Billy having a captured beetle and trying to keep it in a tiny matchbox as a pet is rather cruel and not really humane.

Not a picture book of course, but Beetles, Lightly Toasted sounds fun.

So The Icky Bug Counting Book has the same issues with me finding the title misleading, annoying and rather anti bugs, and furthermore, Jerry Pallotta’s text does seem to insinuate that spiders are insects, while arachnids are not insects but of course related to them.

We found this great fun, very entertaining and educational! Appreciate the mostly realistic illustrations blended with some more humorous and "cartoony" ones (my youngest loved those). The text is more detailed than many picture books but was still accessible for my five-year-old, and my eight-year-old was also very engaged. I, too, learned a few things about ants. I appreciate the focus is on showing that ants are beneficial members of the ecosystem (it does mention a few that humans want to be wary of). A good antidote to all the books where ants are only seen as pests stealing picnic lunches ;-) This would be a five star if it had a Bibliography or other references. Highly recommend to young etymologists or anyone looking to have better appreciation of and for ants.

He has another one, The Life and Times of the Honeybee we are hoping to pick up.

Kathryn wrote: "We found this great fun, very entertaining and educational! Appreciate the mostly realistic illustrations blended with some more humorous and "cartoony" ones (my youngest loved those). The text is ..."

Ants are also portrayed as general positive for the soil in Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt.

Manybooks wrote: "Ants are also portrayed as general positive for the soil in Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. ."

That's good.
(Also, glad to hear your summer weather isn't too bad!)

Cheryl wrote: "Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad is part of a pure fiction series that (among other themes) helps kids feel more comfortable with 'creepy crawlies' than some of their parents might be...."

You highlight some really great features. I'm not sure why I don't enjoy these books more. It really has so many appealing points. The artwork is delightful. The plot just feels too scattered for me and a few aspects felt a bit stereotypical. That said, my kiddo picked out another one at the library so I'm glad it connected more with him.

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book

Well yes, Jerry Pallotta’s The Icky Bug Alphabet Book is definitely fun, detailed and informative (both as an alphabet book and as a gene..."

Well, all of the Icky Bug books. I have issues with due to the book titles. But I really have some major issues with Icky Bug Shapes, as for one Jerry Pallotta does not bother distinguishing spiders from insects, and for two, the text is in my opinion much to verbally dense for young children being introduced to various geometric shapes via insect examples.

Not all that impressed with Ant Cities. The text is interesting but a bit too basic and should have had in my opinion some details about insects in general. And I really do not like the illustrations, finding them bland, lifeless and the tiny verbal labels much too hard on my eyes and in fact impossible to read. And no bibliography either!

There are still in my opinion way way too many books out there which seem to relish labelling insects as all and sundry problematic pests and even trying to insinuate that insects are actually evil and deliberately diabolical. Now a good example of this (even though it is not a picture book geared towards children) is Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army and Other Diabolical Insects, which I for one regret having read and strongly recommend against.

Manybooks wrote: "Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabre and His World of Insects

So yes, Matthew Clark Smith’s Small Wonders: Jean-Henri Fabré and his Word of Insects is the type of picture book biography..."

I absolutely loved this! One of my favorites (maybe the favorite) of my reads for this month so far. I'm not sure I have much to add to what you've written beyond my own standing ovation and my hearty recommendation that everyone else try to get their hands on a copy :-)

Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery I thoroughly enjoyed this! It is not so much a book about Monarch butterflies as it is about how the mystery of their migration was solved. Every year, people from Canada to Mexico observed the wondrous phenomenon of Monarch butterfly arrival and departure and wondered, where do they go? In 1976, Canadian scientists (and husband and wife) Fred and Norah set out to track the migration by tagging them. But, they didn't do it alone. I appreciate how this book shows that it took many, many people -- from "Ken, the American adventurer" who, on his motorcycle, followed the Monarchs with his new wife Catalina (born and raised in Mexico) who spoke with locals and helped share their knowledge, to the many citizen scientists from across North America (teachers, students, young and old) who helped tag and track the Monarchs. The conclusion emphasizes the treats Monarchs face due to chemical sprays that threaten the milkweed plants, and logging and farming that threaten their oyamel groves, to pollution that disrupts the air and weather for their flights. But, it also ends on a hopeful note that we can all do our part to help and the back matter provides a few actionable steps on how to do that. There's also a "More about the Monarch Migration 'Discovery'" in the back, along with a very important quote from Mexican poet and environmentalist Homero Aridjis, "Did the white scientists really 'discover' the wintering sites that people in Southern Mexico knew about for centuries?" Great book, worth adding to any study of Monarch butterflies, environmental issues or as inspiration for citizen/community scientists. Bibliography and Educational Guide accessible at: sleepingbearpress.com/teaching_guides

This is a decent but also a bit too simplistic book about endangered and extinct Invertebrates, but in Endangered and Extinct Invertebrates, I do appreciate the author clearly pointing out how we have caused, how human behaviour has caused and is causing many invertebrates to become endangered and sometimes recently extinct, although it would be better if Jennifer Boothroyd’s text would separate invertebrates into insects, arachnids, worms etc.

Kathryn wrote: "Winged Wonders: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery I thoroughly enjoyed this! It is not so much a book about Monarch butterflies as it is about how the mystery of their migration..."

I read this one earlier this year, and I agree that it was an excellent look at how people found out about the monarchs' annual migrations.

Beverly wrote: "I read this one earlier this year, and I agree that it was an excellent look at how people found out about the monarchs' annual migrations. "

I'm glad you enjoyed it, too :-)

Manybooks wrote: "This is a decent but also a bit too simplistic book about endangered and extinct Invertebrates, but in Endangered and Extinct Invertebrates, I do appreciate the author clearly point..."

That does sound good -- and important! Thanks!

Kathryn wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "This is a decent but also a bit too simplistic book about endangered and extinct Invertebrates, but in Endangered and Extinct Invertebrates, I do appreciate the au..."

It is alright but not spectacular!

So, to finish up the month... (though I imagine we will add to the list in future!)

Snail & Worm: Three Stories About Two Friends -- stretching beyond insects here, but it is adorable and quirky and humorous. (Nothing instructive regarding snails and worms -- and I did find it a bit odd that (view spoiler)[they have a pet spider (hide spoiler)], just an enjoyable story.)

Bugs, Bees, and Other Buzzy Creatures we just skimmed... will probably go back to it ... has some fun facts about insects interspersed with craft ideas (clothespin dragonfly clips) activities (ant maze), and recipes (honey cookies).

Didn't get to Nature All Around: Bugs as it's similar content to what we've read before and kids' interest kind of fizzled, but no fault of the book. Appears to be very worthwhile with excellent illustrations and great information. Will keep this until it's due back in case the boys get interested again or I find time to read it myself.

Hello, Bugs! is a board book that shows the littlest children that tiny critters are cute & friendly.

Love this one because it's for the littlest, and is just exactly educational enough. I appreciate the cheerfulness of the tiny critters, no yuckiness at all. And the vocabulary of munch, scurry, scuttle, etc. is delightful. And I love the twist ending, when we say "Bye-bye, butterfly" because after all they don't stick around long enough for a proper hello, do they?

I will look for more by the creators.