About This Book
Reach for this book when your child starts recoiling in fear from every beetle or fly they encounter in the garden. It is a gentle, poetic antidote to the reflexive 'ick' factor that many children feel toward creeping and crawling things. By shifting the focus from the bugs' appearance to their remarkable behaviors and roles in nature, this collection helps replace fear with a sense of quiet wonder. Norma Farber's rhythmic verses introduce young readers to twenty different insects, including often-maligned creatures like maggots and slugs. Through playful language and a celebratory tone, the book encourages a mindset of empathy and environmental stewardship. It is an ideal choice for parents who want to foster a scientific curiosity and a compassionate heart toward even the smallest members of the animal kingdom.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
The book is entirely secular and scientific in its appreciation of nature. There are no heavy emotional themes like death or trauma, though it does address the 'gross' factor of certain larvae and insects directly to help children move past it.
