Bugs for Lunch by Margery Facklam
illustrated by Sylvia Long
Bon appetit! Kudos to Chef Nature for dishing up these tasty morsels. No reader with a discriminating palate will be able to put this delicious menu of appetizing delicacies down. Bugs for Lunch caters to a full array of creatures-- animal, plant, and human,-- that munch on bugs.
From a mantis perched and ready to prey on ladybugs and butterflies, to the honey-drenched fur of a big brown bear munching on a hive full of bees, Sylvia Long's vivid illustrations show close-up details of all sorts of creatures munching on their lunch. These colorful drawings of creatures that live to eat bugs will be your key to discovering a world of insectivores in your own backyard and beyond.
0-88106-271-5 $15.95 h
0-88106-272-3 $6.95 p
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Honors:
ABA Kids Pick of the Lists, Spring 1999
Parenting Reading Magic Award for 1999
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Award Program Master List for 2000-2001
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"Facklam's playful rhymed verses and Long's brightly colored paintings combine to introduce young listeners to a variety of creatures that eat insects. They include well-known species, such as bats, bears, and aardvarks, as well as such lesser-known insectivores as rainbow trout and praying mantises and humans; they even include Venus's-flytraps. The artwork, much of it larger than life size, conveys a great deal of scientific information without ever appearing cluttered. Appended facts about the bug eaters portrayed on these double-page spreads help clarify the details in the illustrations and will be welcomed by curious readers. Although some children may be squeamish at the thought of tasting tarantulas, caterpillars, or dragonflies, the tone is matter-of-fact and nonjudgmental, which should diffuse at least a few groans. A good choice for primary science units; pair this with Doug Florian's informative verses Insectlopedia (1998)."
(Booklist, February 1999)
The gastronomical oddity of eating winged and many-legged creatures is fleetingly examined in a superficial text that looks at animals and people who eat insects. Bugs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are gobbled up by a shrew, an aardvark, a bear, a gecko, and others. The rhyme scheme limits the information presented; specificity about the types of insects eaten is sacrificed for the sake of making the rhyme flow, e.g., a mouse, a trout, a praying mantis, a nuthatch, and a bat are repeatedly said to eat "bugs" or "insects" in general, rather than naming the mayflies, moths, or grubs they enjoy. An author's note explaines her choice of the word bugs for all crawly things; an addendum takes care of other particulars lacking in the text. Long's exacting pen-and-ink style lends a naturalistic perfection to this visual playground of the insect world, enhancing this glimpse of vital link in the food chain.
(Kirkus Reviews, January 1999)
Facklam's cheerful, rhyming text introduces the read-to-me set (and beginning readers as well) to a variety of critters whose collation of choice is insects. A bat, a toad, a spider, a Venus flytrap, and even humans are shown catching an assortment of bugs on every eye-catching double-page spread. The excellent pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are large, colorful, and realistic, showing no only the designated diner and intended entrée, but also a host of other insects, from ladybugs to damselflies, creeping, and crawling and flittering about inside and outside of the margins. The closing three pages provide brief, informative paragraphs on each "bug-catcher," emphasizing its hunting methods. Unfortunately, the plethora of prey is largely left unidentified, which will probably lead to frustrating questions from young admirers of this handsome volume. Still, this is an attractive, high-interest book with an intriguing title and dramatic illustrations.
(School Library Journal, February 1999)
Facklam's playful rhymed verses and Long's brightly colored paintings combine to introduce young listeners to a variety of creatures that eat insects. They include well-known species, such as bats, bears, and aardvarks, as well as such lesser-known insectivores as rainbow trout and praying mantises and humans; they even include Venus's-flytraps. The artwork, much of it larger than life size, conveys a great deal of scientific information without ever appearing cluttered. Appended facts about the bug eaters portrayed on these double-page spreads help clarify the details in the illustrations and will be welcomed by curious readers. Although some children may be squeamish at the thought of tasting tarantulas, caterpillars, or dragonflies, the tone is matter-of-fact and nonjudgmental, which should diffuse at least a few groans. A good choice for primary science units; pair this with Doug Florian's informative verses Insectlopedia (1998).
(Booklist, February 1999)
Here's the buzz from this chipper picture book: though they may not be everyone's favorite dish, bugs make tasty treats for many creatures, even humans. In simple rhyming verse, Facklam (The Big Bug Book) offers a list of critters that regularly dine on insects: "If your lunch was a bug,/Who could you be?/ Maybe a nuthatch/At work in a tree. . .You might be a gecko/Or maybe a mouse,/Eating the insects/In somebody's house." An illustrated glossary expands on these basics, providing a plethora of fun facts. Simultaneously crisp and airy, Long's (Hush Little Baby; Ten Little Rabbits) pen, ink and watercolor compositions capture the natural world in realistic detail. Many young readers will delight in the " yuck" factor of depictions of children eating grubs roasted over a campfire or serving up stir-fried dragonflies on rice.
(Publisher's Weekly, January 1999)
Each double page spread of this simple non-fiction title boasts a close-up illustration of an animal who eats bugs. From a nuthatch to a trout, a bee-eating bear to a snacking shrew, the precise pen and ink and watercolor drawings present a realistic and intriguing look at the featured creature surrounded by several species of insects unsuspectingly waiting to be devoured. It is startling to be able to experience these beasts at such close range; all are surprisingly attractive and fascinating to behold in action. The scenes are deeply rendered and beautifully set in the creature's natural environment while the final two eye-opening pages show some humans who also eat bugs. The short rhyming text sets the stage for pictures. The first page asks, " If your lunch was a bug, /Who could you be?", with the rest of the pages supplying possible answers. "You might be a gecko/ Or maybe a mouse,/Eating the insects/In somebody's house." While this device gets a touch monotonous, the pleasant, informative rhymes, along with the desire to see what comes next, keeps the pages turning and the reader engrossed. A concluding glossary includes a paragraph of interesting tidbits on how each animal gets its food and sheds light on the several human cultures that have bugs on their menus. The only thing missing in this book for young children is a list of all the different bugs pictured.
(Independent Publisher, May/June 1999)
A menu comprising only bugs has never been as appealing - to the eyes if not the stomach. This book begins with a simle definition of bugs and ends with three pages of additional information about the bug-eating creatures that are featured. The remainder of the book consists of a simple rhyme about living things that feast on bugs, ending with people of cultures for whom bugs are a dietary staple. The real joy of this book resides in Long's illustrations. Created with pen-and-ink and watercolor, they reflect nature and a wide variety of its tiniest creatures. Twelve double-page spreads portray bug-eating animals, birds, plants, and insects enjoying their food. While fairly simple in text and layout, Bugs conveys a lot of information.
(Library Talk, October 1999)
This delightful rhyming book is short on words but full of information about bug eaters. Meet a nuthatch, a gecko, a shrew and eight other bug-eating animals, as well as one plant and a surprise dinera person just like you. On each two-page spread a variety of bugs burst from the margins. Ink-and-watercolor drawings illustrate the bug eaters in simple and inviting settings. At the end of the book, a section called "More about Bugs for Lunch" provides additional tidbits on each bug eater.
(Scientific American, Winter 2000)
Bugs for lunch? That's right! Bugs are a part of many creatures' diets. This interesting book allows children to meet a variety of bug eaters, from birds and insects to plants and even people. Enjoy the story and then use the handy reference in the back of the book to learn more about each creature.
(The Mailbox, June/July 2000)
Facklam's rhymed text describing creatures that munch on bugs delights the ear and the intellect. The text and illustrations provide a great deal of sound information without being overbearing.
(Yellow Brick Road, May/June 2000)
