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The bugs are back! My daughter has started paying more attention to the bugs around us this year, so we are spending more time reading about them. This list of children’s books about bugs explores a variety of insects, encouraging kids to take a second look at the miraculous creatures around them.
Standard Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission from purchases you make through the links in this post. I received copies of these books in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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Written by Denise Brennan-Nelson and illustrated by Florence Weiser
This beautifully illustrated story follows Mae, a little mayfly who is born on the bank of a river and learns that she has one whole day to experience the world. The rhyming text follows her on her journey, facing scary situations, and learning to focus on all the beautiful sights to see in the world. The back of the book includes tips on practicing mindfulness, as well as interesting facts about mayflies.
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Written by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated by Angela Dominguez
This story introduces readers to a young girl named Kaia who is very brave. But she is afraid of bees. This is a big problem for Kaia, since her parents are beekeepers. Her parents explain the importance of honeybees to her, and she shares that knowledge with the people around her. Eventually she heads up to see the bees with her dad, and then helps her parents to harvest the honey. Along the way, she learns the importance of bees, and becomes more open to helping them. The illustrations are bright and colorful and show the process of caring for bees and harvesting the honey.
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Written by Sheri Mabry Bestor and illustrated by Jonny Lambert
This book introduces kids to the life of dragonflies. There are two different texts throughout the book. The larger text is simple and lyrical, using lots of sounds and descriptions to bring kids into the world of dragonflies. At the bottom of some pages, there is smaller text that is packed with interesting facts about dragonflies, their eggs, their babies, and their lives. The illustrations are vibrant and colorful, using lots of textures and colors. They also feature large flowers and plants to show the relative size of dragonflies to the world around them.
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Written by Shana Keller and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki
This story follows the adventures of one firefly, who finds himself blown out to sea by a gust of wind. Anxious to find his way home, he dives into the sea, mistaking the bioluminescence on the water for other fireflies. Luckily, two humans are standing on shore and help him find his way back to his family. The illustrations are beautiful with dark backgrounds that bring the brilliance of the fireflies and the bioluminescence to the forefront.
Related Post: More Children’s Books about Bugs