Big Bug Surprise
Kindergarten-Grade 3—Prunella knows a lot about bugs, but no one has time to listen—not her parents, the bus driver, or her teacher. She waits patiently for her turn at show-and-tell only to have a swarm of bees invade her classroom. When everyone else runs away, the quick-thinking child covers herself with a white sheet and leads the swarm to a new hive, all the while explaining the behavior of the insects. With peace restored, she wins the undivided attention of her classmates with her dung beetle, one of "nature's pooper-scoopers." Gran uses watercolors, dark outlines, and a cartoon style to bring Prunella's story to life. While her teacher and classmates sometimes fade into a monochromatic background, the girl stands out, resembling the bugs she loves. Her wispy hair, tied with red ribbons on either side of her large head, resembles spider legs. Her sleeves might be dragonfly wings, her skirt could be a ladybug, and her stockings are the black and yellow stripes of bee bodies. Reminiscent of Megan McDonald'sInsects Are My Life(Scholastic, 1995), this book enlightens and informs with tidbits of information and a fact sheet. It's a clever introduction to entomology.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TNCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.