Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-These easy-to-read entrants feature caricature-like cartoon illustrations that appealingly depict worms and flies. The brief text imparts information and is accompanied by chatty asides from the subjects ("I'll have the garbage juice soup for starters..." states a fly as it scans a restaurant menu, while an earthworm, after being told that humans use worms as bait and that some even enjoy eating them, protests, "Delicious? No, no, no!"). Readers will find these titles fun to peruse and will pick up some useful material on the subjects, along with a tasty soupcon of icky-ness.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This humorous, informative volume gives basic facts about the title creature. Cartoon illustrations and speech-bubble text play up the kid-friendly silliness: "The housefly is a member of the Muscidae family. Mom Muscidae, Dad Muscidae...Teenager Muscidae: 'Yo!'" The familiar subject and friendly presentation give this book broad appeal. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The author of the rousingly revolting Day in the Office of Doctor Bugspit (2011) dishes out more dirt with this appetite-spoiling introduction to the ubiquitous fly clan. Focusing particularly on houseflies (Muscidae), Gravel ties snippets of natural sciencethe fly "spits or vomits a bit of digestive fluid on his meal to soften it"to humorous scenarios ("Jonathan! Did you spit on your food?" / "Yeeeesss, Mom." / "There's a good boy"). The black, blue, puce and red illustrations feature bulbous, anthropomorphic figures with limp wings and tubular noses, along with the occasional accessory (the "Teenager Muscidae" sports a slouch and a sideways baseball cap; the baby has a binky). Young readers will at least come away with a thorough understanding of how unsanitary these insects are and also, perhaps, clearer pictures of their physical makeup, life cycle and even some of the differences among fly species. Published simultaneously in the Disgusting Critters series, The Worm (978-1-77049-633-0) is equally edutaining. Gross-out potential, for surebut also likely to give larval entomologists a mild buzz. (Picture book. 5-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
