Welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!

There’s no time like springtime to talk about bugs!

Even if you’re not really a bug fan, you will appreciate this book for its creative approach and fabulous art!

Ready to take a look? You won’t even need bug spray 😊

Title: Hustle Bustle Bugs

Written By: Catherine Bailey

Illustrated By: Lauren Eldridge

Publisher: Little Brown & Co, February 22, 2022, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 4-8

Themes/Topics: bugs/insects, nature, jobs/careers

Opening:
“Secret cities buzz and bustle
with itty-bitty hard-work hustle.”

text copyright Catherine Bailey 2022, illustration copyright Lauren Eldridge 2022, Little Brown

Brief Synopsis: Two young girls head into nature in search of bugs and discover a multitude of insects hard at work! 

text copyright Catherine Bailey 2022, illustration copyright Lauren Eldridge 2022, Little Brown

Links To Resources: the back of the book has some amazing resources – Fun Buggy Facts, More Insider Insect Information, and what I think is the coolest, a note from the illustrator about how she created the art for this book!

text copyright Catherine Bailey 2022, illustration copyright Lauren Eldridge 2022, Little Brown

Why I Like This Book: Rhyming phrases that describe the insects are accompanied by torn pieces of notebook paper “stuck” to the page with interesting facts about how the work insects do compares to the work humans do. The text is very informational presented in an entertaining way that kids will find appealing and engaging. It’s a very creative approach. But the thing that sets this book at an even higher level is the art! It is amazing! I can’t even imagine how long it took the artist to complete it. She describes her process in an art note at the back of the book that all kids will find interesting and kids with a passion for art will find inspiring. Too greatly oversimplify, she used as many items from nature as she could, then built the rest out of a combination of “epoxy putty, tinfoil, foam footballs, polymer clay, vellum, acrylic paint, Yupo paper, alcohol ink, hand-cut black card stock,” and more… Then there was photography, a phase at a time, put together like a puzzle! There is just so much to learn and enjoy in this book!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊