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Lynn: Cindy discovered Bug Butts (EarlyLight 2011), took one look and handed it off to me and the Focus Group straight away.  Let’s see, bugs with shooting butts, spinning butts, exploding butts, bubble butts – hmmm, need I say more about small boy appeal?  The EWWW Meter is pegged on this book and while the focus group was falling off the couch giggling, they were also fascinated.  Butts aside, the information is really fascinating.  Cusick clearly knows her audience and presents the scientific information in a  matter-of-fact manner, using well-explained correct terminology without talking down to her young audience.  Large illustrations add to the appeal – as if that was needed!  No small boy can resist the lure of poop umbrellas – hey, frass happens

The Focus Group took up the challenge of drawing their own bug butt illustrations which we proudly include here.

Cindy: In my defense, I did not go looking for books on this topic (although our recent post with the mention of elephant poop got more comments from our readers than most other topics generate so perhaps I should start a dung bibliography!) I saw a Booklist review for Animal Eggs: An Amazing Clutch of Mysteries and Marvels (EarlyLight 2011), also by Dawn Cusick, and went to the publisher website to find a contact and there I was led astray. Bug Butts was displayed prominently and I knew it had great potential for our focus group. I mean, I knew that 7-year-old boys could not resist finding out that larval tortoise beetles make poop umbrellas! The poop “moves out of their anuses and onto their anal forks,

where it creates an umbrella shape called a fecal shield.”  That’s an interesting way to hide from predators! The Chapter called “Sweet Treats” with information about the bug butt buffet was enough to do me in. Animal Eggs is a delight, too, but really, if you are looking for a book to pair with Walter the Farting Dog, Bug Butts just might be it.

Nonfiction Monday is hosted this week by Great Kid Books. Check there for more nonfiction blog posts today.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 23rd, 2011 at 1:19 pm and is filed under Curriculum Connections, Gr. 2-4, Nature, Nonfiction, Science, Twins' Thumbs Up - Age 7. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.