BACKYARD BUG SAFARI

A pair of brothers collects bugs for a school project in this nature-focused illustrated children’s book.

Freddy is so excited to gather bugs for his school entomology project that he sleeps in his hat. Now, Freddy; his little brother, Bradley; and their dog, Lucky-boy, head to a large backyard to collect 11 “live insects.” “What’s so special about bugs anyway?” Bradley asks, and, luckily, Freddy has all the answers. Freddy teaches Bradley about the importance of pollination; why ants march in a row; how grasshoppers and crickets differ; and more. The brothers spend all day in the backyard, encountering bees in manufactured hives; walking sticks; praying mantises; butterflies; and other insects. Freddy also explains hard-to-pronounce terms like metamorphous and tells Bradley not to eat a jumping bean—it has a caterpillar inside. The siblings end the night catching a firefly before dinner, and when Bradley accidentally tips over the bug collection boxes during their meal, they get to catch the insects all over again. Teasdale introduces plenty of insect fun in the dense narration. Freddy’s dialogue sometimes feels overly explanatory—more like a teacher’s speech than a big brother’s—but Bradley’s curiosity and reactions to new facts feel genuine. Even insect fans are sure to encounter intriguing information, as the author explores some lesser-known ideas, including determining whether a grasshopper or a cricket jumps higher and farther, an experiment the brothers set up together. Logvanova’s painterly illustrations depict the two boys, both brown-skinned with curly black hair, in a textured environment. The insects all have big, cartoon eyes, which detract from the story’s realism but add an element of humor that the youngest lap readers should savor. Many realistic flowers appear in the foreground of the images, and the watercolor backgrounds are beautifully rendered. Some insects featured in the pictures, such as dragonflies and ladybugs, are never mentioned in the text, giving readers a chance for an entertaining seek-and-find game to identify as many insects as they can.

A charming backyard adventure that young bug lovers are sure to enjoy.