The Buggiest Bug Books!

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     Spring has sprung (although it's currently feeling more like summer) and the bugs have arrived. Most of us think of ways to get rid of the pests, but bugs can offer a summer full of reading, science and biology lessons. The natural curiosity of children makes this a fairly easy endeavor because most kids will find some bug fascinating. This is a great time for you as the parent to instruct your child how some bugs are beneficial and serve an ecological function and also offers a valuable opportunity to teach your child about the life, growth, death cycle. If you yourself are not well versed in insects, check out online sites such as National Geographic Kids or The Amateur Entomologists Society’s The Bug Club. You can begin in a fun way by watching the movie A Bug’s Life and then move on from there. Tailor learning to your child’s age, ability and interest. Start by reading stories about bugs. There are board books for the littlest ones, picture books for all ages and chapter books.

     Next, use your child’s natural curiosity to locate and observe bugs. Get a magnifying glass and a bug box or jar and let your child loose in the backyard. Include walks in the country, woods and parks and don’t forget to check out rivers and lakes. Teach them to observe, describe, document, research and then they will have added to their background knowledge. Some ideas might include:

• Before heading out to look for bugs, with younger children, review the -ug word family with them: bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, rug, slug, tug.
  

• After observing their bug, have them draw or build their bug from clay, play dough or some other craft item.
  

• Identify all the parts of their bug, and count the number of eyes, legs, wings etc.
  

• Look up their bug in a field guide such as Caterpillars, Bugs and Butterflies (Take-Along Guides) by Mel Boring or a title  from National Geographic Kids.
  

• For older kids, have them write down their observations and after looking their bug up, have them write down some interesting facts they learned about their bug.
  

• Encourage your children to create a journal to keep their information in and to add to, creating their own unique field guide.
  

     Remember that this isn’t a one-time activity but something that you can continue to revisit throughout the summer and beyond. Make bug crafts with your child (search the Internet for ideas,) play bug games such as Cootie or Mojo Education Bug-tastic Memory Match Game and look for events at local parks and nature centers that teach about insects. Learning about bugs will use those skills your child already has, building confidence and will further create new skills, to help further development, so go ahead and embrace the creepy crawlies this summer.

     A quick Google search or browse through Amazon with the key words 'bug books for kids' will come back with a plethora of results, so we've put together a list of our favorite, buggiest bug books!

Mrs. Peanuckle's Bug Alphabet

Bugs A to Z by Caroline Lawton

100 Bugs!: A Counting Book by Kate Narita

One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes

Some Bugs by Angela DiTrelizzi

Bugs Galore by Peter Stein

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! by Bob Barner

The Bug Book by Sue Fliess

The Backyard Bug Book for Kids by Lauren Davidson

The Big Book of Bugs by Yuval Zommer

The Bugliest Bug by Carol Diggory Shields

It's a Firefly Night by Dianne Ochiltree

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Diary of a Fly by Doreen Cronin

A Way with Wild Things by Larissa Theule

     This particular title, How to Survive as a Firefly by Kirsten Foote, deserves a moment in the spotlight. Not only is this book witty and laugh-out-loud funny, it is also illuminating (see what I did there, ha) and highly engaging for all ages. Follow along as a stern, older firefly (reminiscent of a drill sergeant) is educating the new larvae on what it takes to become and survive as a firefly. There's tons of unique vocabulary, such as metamorphosis and bioluminescence, lots of interesting facts scattered throughout in various sidebars and diagrams, and follow-up pages after the story with additional information, as well as a glossary. Use your best commanding voice when reading this one aloud or turn it into a reader's theatre!

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Usborne Books & More

Bugs (Usborne Young Beginners)

The Usborne Big Books of Bugs

Little Lift and Look Bugs

Lift-the-Flap Bugs & Butterflies

Peek Inside Bug Homes

Bug Hotel: A Lift-the-Flap Book of Discovery

First Sticker Book Bugs

100 Bugs to Fold & Fly

1001 Bugs to Spot Sticker Book

Pull-back Busy Bug Book

I am an Educational Services Representative, as well as Independent Consultant, with Usborne Books & More.

Happy bug hunting and reading!

-Kate @ BTBL

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Author

We are three generations that seek a way to get back to basics. It’s not that we eschew technology, but sometimes simpler is better, especially in raising our children. Mom was a reading teacher, Amanda is an early childhood educator and Kate a children’s literature specialist and former school librarian along with the latest additions, a daughter (now 4) for Kate, and two sons (now 1 and a newborn) for Amanda. We advocate reading aloud, the simple toys that use imagination and encourage creativity and learning in the kitchen, which can be a fun mess but also teaches life skills. Join us in raising healthy, happy, inquisitive and intelligent children.