Tag: Ellen shi

Do Doodlebugs Doodle?: Amazing Insect Facts (Corinne Demas & Artemis Roehrig)

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Hello, friends! Our book today is Do Doodlebugs Doodle?: Amazing Insect Facts, written by Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig and illustrated by Ellen Shi, a fun look at insects and what inspires their often curious names.

Do dragonflies breathe fire? Do booklice have library cards? Do yellowjackets wear yellow jackets? These are the whimsical questions posed to the reader, followed quickly by a short explanation of how these oddly-named creatures actually earned their monikers. Little bookworms can learn about water boatmen, horseflies, stinkbugs and more, both on their respective pages and with additional information in the back.

Clever and fun! For any kid who might be interested in insects, this is a fantastic look at some common and lesser-known species that is light, easy to read through in a sitting, and packed with fun facts. The art is cute, and does a great job of including both boys and girls of various skintones playing with and examining the bugs. There was one entry I didn’t love: the story of how kissing bugs get their name (by biting the faces of people and animals), accompanied with an illustration of a distressed-looking child covered in bites, could absolutely upset some young readers. But for the little bug-enthusiast, this is an overall winner. The length was fine for a quick read, JJ enjoyed the “buggies”, and we’re calling this one Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Little Frog And The Scary Autumn Thing (Jane Yolen)

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Hello, friends! Today’s book is Little Frog And The Scary Autumn Thing, written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Ellen Shi, a wonderful tale that uses the change of seasons as a metaphor for how to handle changes in our lives.

Little Frog loves the color green. It’s her very favorite color, and all her favorite things are green: her family, her lily pad, even her own self. So when the trees of her forest begin to turn from green to brand new colors, like red and yellow and orange and even – gasp! – purple, Little Frog feels nervous. Maybe even afraid. But Mama Frog and Papa Frog are here to help her overcome her fears, and learn that change is simply a part of life, and in change can be found new joys, fun experiences, and even familiar comforts. 

In a book written by Jane Yolen, you’re almost expecting a wonderful story, and this one fits the bill. On the surface, it’s a sweet tale about the change of seasons, but Yolen layers in some truly lovely messages about the anxieties we all have about big changes (yes, all – even Papa Frog shows nervousness of the purple leaves). There’s an especially clever moment when, being brave and trying to explore her changing world, Little Frog ends up falling and scraping her knee, and the story stops to focus on it. It’s a small yet meaningful detail, showing that sometimes change is especially hard at first, even painful. The art is beautiful, capturing both the fall colors and the mood of the Frog family perfectly. The length is good, edging on long for tiny bookworms, but JJ enjoyed it very much. This was a well-crafted parable that had a lot to enjoy, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!