Bug-A-Licious (Extreme Cuisine)
From plump, sweet honey ants to dragonflies fried on a stick, the insects served up in this volume are considered delicious treats around the world. Each spread pairs standout color photos of bug-based dishes with a short, lively description of how and where the six-legged delicacies are prepared and enjoyed. An appended world map extends the geography exercise with an at-a-glance view of each featured country. A few spreads will answer young readers’ inevitable questions about taste; termites, for example, are described as having “a nutty flavor,” as well as a taste similar to “sweetened cream.” Goldish includes general references to the bugs’ nutritional value, but more specific information would have been welcome. The photos are the real attraction, with full-page images that will delight browsers. And unlike many other youth titles on the topic, this volume reins in cultural bias: “One eater’s ‘yuck!’ is another eater’s ‘yum!’” A bibliography and small, suggested reading section close this title on a high-interest topic in the Extreme Cuisine series. Grades 2-5. --Gillian Engberg