SNUG AS A BUG

Naturalist Ross takes a fey look at the nightly going-to-bed habits of various crawly critters. Young readers will relish the familiar activities as presented from a bug’s-eye perspective and told in whimsical rhyming couplets. Slugs doze and butterflies free-fall into slumber while other creatures find a remarkable array of cozy nooks to sleep in: a lush rose, discarded sock, and even a pool of sap are all offered up as a perfect place to snooze. Long’s lush watercolor illustrations overflow with charmingly detailed minutiae. Each creature is slyly attired in nifty sleepwear: spider jammies have a tasty fly motif, a hibernating bee slumbers under a beehive-decorated blanket, and a slug trio’s pajamas are adorned with an assortment of shells. Despite the otherworldly perspective, youngsters will connect with the homey, comforting theme permeating the pages. Bugs or no, the soothing images of little ones being tucked in by a loving—even it is a many-legged—parent is bound to have a soporific effect. (Picture book. 2-6)