HUSTLE BUSTLE BUGS

Rhyming couplets meet larger-than-life creatures that are loosely considered bugs.

Technically, bugs comprise only a part of the insect family, but this text is more rudimentary than some of its contemporaries. The opening couplet sets the tone for rather banal text that sometimes struggles to achieve a fluid rhythm: “Secret cities buzz and bustle / with itty-bitty hard-work hustle.” (The book’s final verse, in particular, requires rehearsal for those planning to read it aloud.) Still, the large font and sparse print may encourage emergent readers to take on some new sight words, such as mandibles. Additional, smaller-font prose, which appears on most pages, links human and bug activities—as in, carpenter ants rebuilding forests by breaking down old timber and builders clearing a construction site. The colorful, dioramalike art is reminiscent of animated films of the late 1990s from the likes of Pixar or DreamWorks. Squeamish readers will not overcome entomophobia, but those already fascinated will enjoy the ride. How could a bug lover not appreciate two dung beetles who seem to be conversing across their ball of poop? Beyond its three-dimensional flora and fauna, the art includes two wide-eyed, observant girls, both brown-skinned. The backmatter offers more information in prose: specific ways that bugs fit into the web of life; a page with random data-driven facts; and a surprisingly detailed and interesting explanation of how the artist created the illustrations.

Lively affirmation for budding entomologists.