2020, JUVENILE NONFICTION
WISE Score
A search-and-find biology lesson that answers why ants march in line and where the beetles are hiding on every page.
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This is the gold standard for early non-fiction. It manages to be educational without being dry, and the 'search and find' mechanic is a genius way to keep a kid's eyes on the page for more than thirty seconds.
If you have a kid in the 'why' phase, this is a must-own. It treats their curiosity with respect and provides enough visual detail to reward repeat readings.
Perfect for the 3-to-7 crowd. Toddlers will love the search-and-find, while early elementary kids will actually soak up the facts.
Grounded in nature and curiosity. It avoids the manic energy of modern character-driven media, focusing instead on the quiet wonder of the backyard.
The illustration style is whimsical and artistic rather than clinical. The search-and-find elements turn passive reading into an active game.
It's a book about insects. Zero safety concerns unless your child has a literal phobia of illustrated centipedes.
Excellent for building the 'background knowledge' strand of literacy. It introduces complex biological concepts like hunting and life cycles in an accessible way.
Most kids' bug books fall into two camps: dry, photo-heavy textbooks or overly-cutesy cartoons. Yuval Zommer’s The Big Book of Bugs finds the sweet spot. The illustrations are stylized and lush, making the insects look like characters in a story without sacrificing the anatomical details that matter.
In the Screenwise framework, we talk a lot about the 'language comprehension' strand of literacy. This book is a powerhouse for that. By reading this with a four-year-old, you aren't just teaching them about snails; you're building a mental map of vocabulary (predator, prey, habitat) and background knowledge that will make them better readers when they start decoding text themselves in a few years.
This isn't a book you hand over and walk away from. It’s designed for co-engagement. The search-and-find prompts are scattered throughout, and they are just challenging enough that a parent might actually have to look twice. It’s a great 'wind-down' book because it’s absorbing but not overstimulating. After you finish a few pages, the natural next step is to head into the backyard or a local park and see if the real-world versions live up to the art.
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