Bothered by Bugs
By Author / Illustrator
Emily Gravett
Genre
Environment & Nature
Age range(s)
3+
Publisher
Two Hoots
ISBN
9781529028065
Format
Hardback
Published
03-10-2024
Synopsis
A very funny picture book story in which Pete the Badger, star of Emily Gravett's award-winning books Tidy and Too Much Stuff!, learns valuable lessons about the importance of all creatures, big and small, in maintaining the harmony of nature.
In Bothered By Bugs, Pete the Badger is choosing a delicious recipe from his new fruit cookbook when his peace is interrupted by a teeny tiny fly. The fly becomes a swarm and soon all the animals are being bothered by bugs and insects of all kinds - so they help Pete rid the forest of/capture every single one. But . . . disaster! Now nobody's around to clean up the poo, and come autumn, there's not a berry or a cherry to be found. Will Pete and the other animals learn their lesson and restore order to the forest?
Richly detailed, wonderfully humorous illustrations will keep readers coming back for more. Twice Kate Greenaway Medal winner Emily Gravett's delightful rhyming story is a colourful celebration of nature's equilibrium and promises fun, laughter and learning. The perfect book to read aloud.
Reviews
Sue
Pete the badger is happily sharing a recipe book with the other woodland creatures when a pesky fly ruins everything. Soon all the animals are busy catching every fly they can find and putting them in jars. Then they notice that there are bugs everywhere and quickly scoop them up too. At last, the woods are free from all these pests… But the animals soon realise that with all the bugs in jars, there is no one to do the pollinating or break down all the waste materials.
Bothered by Bugs is another instant classic from the wonder that is Emily Gravett. Pete - star of the previous books Tidy and Too Much Stuff - is well known for his love of neatness and order, but in this story, he learns just how important these 'annoying' creatures are to the ecosystem and how interference with the natural order of things can have a devastating impact on the environment.
Told in rhyming text, the story is an absolute joy to read aloud! The illustrations are fabulous, full of detail and humour, and children will have fun spotting characters from Tidy and Too Much Stuff who make an appearance. But the joy doesn't stop there! Lift the dust jacket of Bothered by Bugs and the book which Pete is reading, 'How to Cook Fruit: A Culinary Badger’s Guide to Preparing Fruit', is revealed, complete with tea stains and badger paw prints. There are recipes to try on the end papers, including a very tasty looking Summer Pudding which we will be trying!
The inside cover of the dust jacket shows the bugs which the woodland creatures capture, offering an instant guide to insects, allowing children to become insect spotters and come to appreciate the roles that they play.
Perfect for sparking activities at a story session, for sharing at home or for using to inspire work in school, Bothered by Bugs is another must have title from Emily Gravett.
40 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher
Suggested Reading Age 3+