Today the bug mom is here with a book review. We are not seeing a lot of bugs under the snow we have right now so I ordered a bunch of bug books from the library to read and review.
Today we have Backyard Bugs by Jill McDonald. This is a 24 page board book that is designed for babies and toddlers. The bugs that they cover are:
Bee
Dragonflies
Spider
Grasshopper
Cricket,
Ladybug
Ants
Garden Worms (aren’t they called earthworms?!)
Monarch Caterpillar, Chrysalis, and Butterfly.
The Good
First I would like to say that I really appreciate the non-fiction for babies trend. I really love the Baby Loves... series and I wish they had some about bugs. I like most of the art in the book too. I think it is a nice style that kids might prefer to real bug pictures. I do wish that ladybug was a little less oddly textured and looked more like the other bugs.
The Meh
I really wish non-fiction texts about bugs would just be about bugs. This opens with a two-page spread of a backyard with a vegetable garden and it just strikes a nerve to see when there are so many children that don't have that and it just isn't necessary. I feel the same about a boy and a cat that show up from time to time. They don't bring anything to the text and actually detract from it because it is reinforcing stereotypes that already exist.
The Ugly
I don't expect overly complex science in a baby book, but when you have so few lines I expect them to be factually correct and presented so they are not confusing. This section shows a ladybug on a partially eaten leaf and then has this on the next page.
Okay, so does a ladybug eat leaves or bugs? When I think about the ladybug I think about the ladybug eating aphids. Apparently some ladybugs do eat plants but it doesn't sound like any eat plants and bugs. Maybe it sounds picky, but this is confusing and I don't like it.
