June 21st to 27th is National Insect Week which encourages people of all ages to learn more about insects. We’ve learnt lots of fascinating facts about different kinds of insects through reading non fiction picture books but also by doing our own research after reading stories with insect main characters.
These are just a few of the fabulous insect books that we we have on our bookshelves…
A Collection Of Bugs and Minibeasts
Bugs and Minibeasts by Christiane Engel
Bugs and Minibeasts is a fabulous, sturdy, pop up board book which introduces young children to a variety of insects and other creatures. It introduces caterpillars, spiders, bees, ants and other creepy crawlies. Small blocks of text are interspersed between bold colourful images and a wonderful moving pop up in the middle of each page.
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Bug Hotel by Libby Walden & Clover Robin
This sturdy lift the flap board book, introduces six different kinds of creepy-crawlies including beetles, spiders, bees and butterflies. We are introduced to where they live, how they catch their prey and features that are particular to each one. It was interesting to learn where stag beetles get their name from, why a ladybird looks like it does and how fast a snail travels.
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Follow the Trail: Minibeasts by Dawn Siritt & Charlotte Milner
Four different insects are introduced in this book (Butterfly, Honeybee, Ladybird and Dragonfly). There are wonderful, colourful, close up photographs of each creature and we learn about what they eat, physical characteristics and specific such as how bees make honey and the fact that dragonflies lay eggs. The final puzzle page focuses on habitats and where each insect likes to spend time, the reader can follow the trail to find the right answer.
Butterflies
The Butterfly Dance by Suzanne Barton
The Butterfly Dance is a story about the power of friendship which introduces children to the concept of caterpillars changing into butterflies. Can the friends still have fun together once they have turned into different coloured butterflies? This is a wonderful story to introduce the concept of symmetry.
We also love the way that The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle shows the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly and the butterfly twist in Monkey Puzzle by Julia Donaldson and Axel Schefflermade us laugh when we first read the story.
Ladybirds
What the Ladybird Heard by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks
The ladybird comes up with a cunning plan to confuse thieves Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len who are putting to steal the farmer’s prize cow. Lydia Monk’s bold, colourful illustrations include a glittery ladybird to find on every page and we love the way that she tricks the two thieves 🙂
We also love Ella by Alex T. Smith, a retelling of Cinderella with a cast of insects and Lucy Lady Bird by Sharon King-Chai which is great for introducing children to colours, seasons, counting and the concept that it’s good to be different.
Bees
When the Bees Buzzed Off! by Lula Bell & Stephen Bennett
At a time when the bee population is declining we’re very conscious about planting more bee friendly flowers in our garden. This is a fabulous story which explains to children, in a very simple way, the role of bees and how we can attract them back to our gardens.
Wasps
The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord & Janet Burroway
Four million wasps fly into Itching Down and terrorise the villagers. Bap the Baker comes up with an idea to trap the wasps in a giant jam sandwich. It’s a team effort with farmers, factory workers and villagers making and transporting the sandwich. And then they wait for the wasps to come. This was one of my favourite childhood stories and times have definitely changed since it was written!
Do you have a favourite picture book about insects?
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