Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter

by Amy S. Hansen

The secret world of insects revealed. Every fall, insects disappear. And every spring, they return. Where do they go? The dragonfly dies, leaving its young safe in the muddy bottom of a stream. The monarch butterfly sails the air to dry mountains in Mexico. And the Arctic woolly bear caterpillar becomes a "bugsicle"—it freezes solid, then thaws out to live another day. The honeybee, praying mantis, field cricket, ladybug, and pavement ant also use awe-inspiring tricks to outwit the killing frosts of winter. The author and illustrator re-create the insects' movements and reveal their secrets in this winner of the John Burroughs Nature Books for Young Readers Award. Experiments reinforce key concepts.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Animals, Picture Books, Nature

Paperback

Published January 1, 1656

Reviews

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite line: She isn't dead. She isn't really asleep. She's a bugsicle.

Wish I had found this one earlier. Great book.

[Natalie Mayur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bugs and Bugsicles is an intriguing read for young students who are interested in insects and what happens to them in the winter months. The title alone caught my eye as a reader and drew me in right away, and I found myself not wanting to put this book down. Even as an adult I learned a lot on this topic! I believe this book would be great for all elementary students since it is an informational text and some information is more difficult to comprehend. If I read this book to my kindergarten class I would simply stretch out reading this book over a few days as there is a lot of information and it would be a long book to read to young children in one read aloud session (although I think most would be fascinated with its content).

I plan to read this book to my class when we study winter and cold weather in January. So much emphasis is placed on hibernation in elementary grades that I really appreciate how this book goes into detail that not all animals hibernate (some migrate or lay eggs before it gets too cold and then die in the winter). This would also be a great informational book to read when studying insects as each page in the text highlights a new insect and what it does to prepare for the winter months such as ladybugs, dragonflies, ants, and honeybees.

The illustrator has done an excellent job with adding good details to his drawings and the illustrations show you what the insects are experiencing underground or underwater in the winter. This is also a great book to show students that not all informational books have photographs as this book does indeed have illustrations. I believe this is a misconceived idea for many young students. Overall I highly recommend this book as a great informational text and can’t wait to read this with my kindergarten students!

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good info and pictures

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bugs and Bugsicles: Insects in the Winter by Amy S. Hansen, illustrated by Robert C. Kray.
A solid non-fiction book for mid to late elementary students. The book describe how different insects prepare for and continue over the winter. Has several classroom or homeschool lab exercises in the back. Very good illustrations in acrylic by Robert C. Kray.
Age Range: 7 - 10 years
Grade Level: 2 - 5
Lexile Measure: AD760L (adult directed reading)
For other science books by Amy S. Hansen see website: http://www.amyshansen.com/
"IT IS MY HOPE THAT UPON VIEWING MY WORK, PEOPLE WILL TAKE MORE INTEREST IN RESPECTING AND PRESERVING WILDLIFE AND IT'S SURROUNDINGS." -Robert Kray

[Mariela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bugs and Bugsicles is a great nonfiction book explaining what happens to all the insects when winter comes. This book is written for an age group of seven to mine years of age and is defiantly a teachers and parents choice. This book talks about everything from dragonfly dies, leaving its young safe in the muddy bottom of a stream to The monarch butterfly sailing the air to dry mountains in Mexico. The author and illustrator re-create the movement of all those bugs gone away in the winter. In my opinion this is a go to book when children are more interested in learning about the life of bugs. all the words and new information will defiantly be something that would capture a child's imagination and want to share with their friends.

[Abby Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where do bugs go in the winter? Well, it turns out that lots of them die, laying eggs to hatch in the spring. Others do different things, like ladybugs that huddle together for warmth, monarch butterflies that migrate all the way to Mexico, and woolly bear caterpillars who actually freeze and spend the winter as bugsicles. The text would have been more effective if it had been shorter and then perhaps more species of bugs could have been included. Kids who are bug fanatics may enjoy this one, but for tales of animals in winter, I'd stick with Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart.

[Donalyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The endless picture books about insect life left one story untold--what happens to insects in the winter time? This well-researched and beautifully illustrated book gives readers a glimpse into the hibernation habits of many common insects and the steps each species takes to ensure its survival over the cold winter. Filled with factual detail throughout and science experiments in the back, this book is a valuable resource for studying insect-life in the classroom.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the title. Bugsicles! The book gives a quick look at some of the insects in our backyards and what happens to them when winter comes. Not necessarily for your youngest, but when they start asking questions, something to share with them about the natural world.

[LG Buschmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating information along with great illustrations. We always wondered what happened to bugs when the weather turned cold...now we know about some of them. Ladybugs, monarch butterflies, praying mantis' and more.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for a unit on animal migration and preparation for winter. I've always wondered what happens to insects in the winter-- and now I know! Grades K-4.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information told in a very accessible style and handsome pictures.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent narrative style. I'd recommend this for all school libraries and young nature enthusiasts.

[Brenda Steffens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great science books about insects in winter. Also includes experiments.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting!

[Tammy Flanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!