Review of BIG BUGS by Seymour Simon

Biography
Simon, Seymour. 2005. Big Bugs. San Francisco, CA: SeaStar Books. ISBN 9781587172656

Plot Summary
Seymour Simon gives young children an up-close look at some of the world’s most intriguing bugs. From the hard and cumbersome body of the goliath beetle to the dainty iridescent wings of a dragonfly, insects swarm the pages of Big Bugs. Accompanied by simple informational text, Big Bugs is sure to be a hit with the crayon-toting crowd.

Critical Analysis
Big Bugs is a slim informational picture book that is geared towards early readers. The turn of each page presents a different strange and wondrous bug that is certain to grab the attention of a young audience. Written in large bold print, Seymour Simon provides text that gives two or three facts about each insect. He cleverly compares the size or weight of the bugs to common objects. This helps to link a child’s background knowledge to the new information, giving them a clear point of reference: “The bulldog ant of Australia is about 1 ½ inches long, about the size of your pinky.” Each picture is large, often spanning the width of two pages and contains a small box exposing the insect’s actual size. The photos are slightly dim, giving the sensation that someone needs to flip the light switch to clearly see the details of the insects. None the less, the target audience will appreciate the unusual creeping little creatures.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal: “The information is better organized and offers limited but solid introductions to the giant water bug, the goliath beetle, and robber flies.”
Booklist: “Some of the photos are eye-catching and dramatic. In others, the form of the animal is hard to discern.”

Connections
*Could be used to introduce children to key facts about insects.
*Could be used for reading practice with early intermediate readers.
* Other books about insects:
Winner, Cherie. Everything Bug: What Kids Really Want to Know about Bugs. ISBN 9781559718912
Greenaway, Theresa. Big Book of Bugs. ISBN 9780789465207