The Bugliest Bug Book

A whirring, zinging, hopping-good show that will have kids itching for more!

All of insect land is abuzz with news of a big contest! The demure Damselfly Dilly - "neither clever nor frilly" - has no thoughts of winning, but she’s curious to find out who will. And what she sees makes her eyes bug out! Glowworms light up the stage, the audience hums with anticipation, and a panel of judges grins . . . but wait, aren’t those fangs she sees glinting?

The wild and witty team that brought us SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE DINOSAUR STOMP and MARTIAN ROCK is back with an exhilarating invasion of bombardier beetles, squirting stinkbugs, praying mantises, and one plucky little Damselfly who keeps her huge eyes open - and seeing in all directions. Once again, Carol Diggory Shields’s lively verse mixes fun, fancy, and fascinating fact, while Scott Nash’s exuberant artwork virtually flies off the page.

Publishers Weekly

In a rollicking, tongue-in-cheek entree to the entomological world, Damselfly Dilly uncovers a plot by a group of sinister spiders who hold a "bugliest bug" contest and secretly plan to consume the credulous contestants. "A ladybug curtsied, tumblebugs flipped, The judges applauded, then licked their lips." The steady beat of the simple and often clever verse swiftly advances the predictable plot. Meanwhile, the almost fluorescent gouache and pencil illustrations put readers at the swamp-level action with close-ups of the pop-eyed cartoon insects, most portrayed with only four legs and comical humanoid expressions. Busy spreads aglow in yellow and orange buzz with animation, as humorous vignettes show each bug earnestly performing its talent (e.g., a trio of click bugs appears to doo-wop). Shields and Nash (previously paired for Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp) end the tale with a hurrah (stink-bug humor included), and readers will be cheered, although not surprised, to learn which bug is ultimately proclaimed "bugliest." Tear-out trading cards feature the book's stars with facts and lighthearted prose: "While most know him as Dung Beetle, Tumblebug prefers to be called the Original Pooper Scooper... (he just built and moved into a cozy ball of manure)." Ages 4-8. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.