Bugs don't hug: Six-legged parents adn their kids by Heather L. Montgomery, illustrated by Steven Stone

"Bugs aren't like us." So begins this silly, informative, and rather gross picture book about bugs. Bugs don't give hugs, serve scrambled eggs for breakfast, or... But wait! Mother crickets do lay extra eggs to feed their babies. Father beetles clean up their baby's droppings. Parent shield bugs find the perfect fruit for their picky eaters. Maybe bugs are kind of like humans after all?

Cartoon art contrasts realistic pictures of bugs with their offspring and caricatures showing bulgy-eyed, anthropomorphic bugs mimicking human behavior. The bright colors make for cute pictures, as long as you don't look too close... at dung beetles and their cakes of dung, burying beetles making a meal off a mouse corpse, or a mother pill big curling up with her larvae on her belly. This one isn't for the squeamish!

Back matter identifies each bug by their scientific name and gives more specific details about their habits and behavior. There are a few picture books listed for future reading and an author's note about scientific vs. playful language. There's a final note to parents gently suggesting they not pass on their bug phobias to little ones who are curious about the world around them.

Verdict: A great choice for storytimes or bug units, use this one to introduce kids to the ways we are all part of the natural world as well as to encourage interest in the bugs and creatures around us.

ISBN: 9781580898164; Published September 2018 by Charlesbridge; Borrowed from another library in my consortium