Stories from Bug Garden

Whimsical and delightful, a celebration of imagination. 

In 13 poetic stories, Moser (Kisses on the Wind) and Millward (How Do You Hug a Porcupine?) take readers on a whimsical jaunt into a garden buzzing with anthropomorphic insects, including Lightning Bug (who "never ever won at hide-and-go-seek, but... was the all-time champion of follow-the-leader) and Ladybug, who prefers running barefoot and playing in the mud to acting "ladylike." Playful language and exchanges dominate. "You know you're not a horse," Butterfly tells Horsefly as he gallops from flower to flower. "Well, you're not butter, either," retorts Horsefly. Elsewhere, a dazzling, firework-like display of blooming flowers is met with "Ooohhhs" and "Aaahhhs" from the assembled bugs, and Cricket and Big Ant argue over how to reach a peach, only to discover that letting the wind do the work might be best. Millward's naive-styled, softly colored ink-and-watercolor illustrations lend quiet humor to the stories, giving the diminutive characters expressive eyes and sweet smiles. This pleasurable read will win over preschoolers and parents alike as it offers gentle reflections on persistence, pleasure, and perspective. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--Discover the inhabitants of the garden through lyrical vignettes featuring all of its residents, from a horsefly who dreams of looking like a horse and a ladybug who would rather make mud angels than sip tea and sit up tall to a bee who is content to settle back and watch the clouds and the greatest cricket explorer in the world. The bugs join together to watch a fireworks show of blooming flowers and to figure out how to reach a peach in the tree. "The garden was old, .../But it wasn't forgotten/ anymore/because they called it/Home." These funny and friendly tales will have readers looking at bugs in a new way. The colorful and charming ink, watercolor, and pencil illustrations cleverly depict the backyard denizens. VERDICT A unique look at a garden's smallest residents that's sure to please readers.--Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Diverse insects discover a new dwelling in this delightful collection of interconnected vignettes featuring free verse and charming illustrations...From lively to lyrical, in both the stories and art, there's plenty to enjoy, amuse, and contemplate.

Compactly told in short lines, these pieces are part beginning-reader stories and part poetry. In spirit they remind me of Arnold Lobel's wonderful Frog and Toad books...Millward's watercolor, ink and pencil drawings highlight the stories' whimsy; her google-eyed characters and obsessive, scribbly vegetation add up to a rousing expression of cheer.
—The New York Times Book Review 

From far away, a flower garden may look still, unpopulated. But get a lot closer and there will be bugs...In the spirit of The Wind in the Willows, this whimsical collection of sometimes fable-like storylets offers a cozy microcosm of creatures. Readers will be glad to see the wheelbarrow and gate they glimpsed from a distance among the garden's close-up wonders... a home for the bugs now, no longer abandoned.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers

A lively treat awaits young readers in Stories from Bug Garden, where life is busy buzzing amid an old, forgotten place "with a tumbledown wall and a one-wheeled barrow."...Very young readers will enjoy exploring this out-of-sight world over and over again.
—BookPage

The descriptive language and colorful, fun illustrations make this an enjoyable read. Nature is presented through the drawings and short prose...Teachers and parents will want this book for a read-aloud selection, while public and school librarians can use it to spark discussions related to insects, gardens, and nature.
—School Library Connection