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[(Nasty Bugs )] [Author: Lee Bennett Hopkins] [Mar-2012]
This tribute to the delightful nastiness of bugs features 16 poems by accomplished children's poets, including Marilyn Singer, J. Patrick Lewis, and Rebecca Andrew Loescher. Fun facts about the featured creatures round out this sure bet for poetry fans and bug enthusiasts alike. Full color.
Unknown Binding
First published March 15, 2012
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46 people want to read
About the author
Lee Bennett Hopkins
209 books52 followersLee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
March 21, 2012
Poetry. . .bugs. . .boys. . .I think I see a kind of perfect match with the approach of April when we begin to celebrate poetry with our younger readers.
Okay. Wait. Maybe we lost you here. Bugs. . .yes. . .bugs. Look around your room right now? I'll bet you have some boys who absolutely love bugs. But when will they ever get to read a collection of poems about them? Or find them in a lesson or a book quite possibly meant just for them.
Lee Bennett Hopkins has done it again with NASTY BUGS. He's brought along his poetic friends to include Rebecca Kai Dotlich ("Boll Weevil"), X. J. Kennedy ("Colorado Potato Beetle"), Marilyn Singer ("Disagreeable Fleas"), J. Patrick Lewis ("Spoiled Rotten"), Kristine O'Connell George ("Bedbug Has a Bite to Eat"), and Douglas Florian ("The Giant Water Bug").
Will Terry's illustrations are a graphic delight with each page dedicated to the piece and a depiction of the bug being celebraed. The illustrations are cartoon-ish, but realistic enough to satisfy your bug lovers in the room. For Writer's Workshop readiness, Hopkins's collection here has some of the best of the best by way of master poets who tease with a promised rhyme or lend an irresistible cadence that just begs reading aloud.
Marilyn Singer offers these lines about fleas:
The eager bugs
set up shop
in houses, yards,
on St. Bernards.
Can you hear the cadence here? Your younger readers/listeners will be able as well, making Singer's piece just one that can be emulated for style and rhythm of a student's own.
Current Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis offers this not-quite-ready-for-lunchtime piece about maggots:
I'm a maggot.
I'm a marvel
of the larval generation.
I'm a comma
In a drama
of disgusting devastation.
There is a hip hop feel to this piece that invites conversations about internal rhyme and metaphor that younger readers might recognize in classroom-friendly rap pieces. "Spoiled Rotten" really demonstrates why J. Patrick Lewis is a treasured children's poet.
Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's piece, "Lice" will have you looking for your school-provided little black comb after that first itch materializes.
I am the proud owner of a number of Lee Bennett Hopkins's anthologies and collections and he never disappoints, even with a creepy-crawly subject like "bugs." The ability to draw from some of today's best children's poets continue to make Hopkins one to look to and to look for when adding poetry collections to one's classroom library.
"Ladder" this one up with two poetry book coming out this year by children's poetry treasures, Jane Yolen (BUG OFF) and Helen Frost (STEP GENTLY OUT). It's going to be a buggy poetry month this year!
Okay. Wait. Maybe we lost you here. Bugs. . .yes. . .bugs. Look around your room right now? I'll bet you have some boys who absolutely love bugs. But when will they ever get to read a collection of poems about them? Or find them in a lesson or a book quite possibly meant just for them.
Lee Bennett Hopkins has done it again with NASTY BUGS. He's brought along his poetic friends to include Rebecca Kai Dotlich ("Boll Weevil"), X. J. Kennedy ("Colorado Potato Beetle"), Marilyn Singer ("Disagreeable Fleas"), J. Patrick Lewis ("Spoiled Rotten"), Kristine O'Connell George ("Bedbug Has a Bite to Eat"), and Douglas Florian ("The Giant Water Bug").
Will Terry's illustrations are a graphic delight with each page dedicated to the piece and a depiction of the bug being celebraed. The illustrations are cartoon-ish, but realistic enough to satisfy your bug lovers in the room. For Writer's Workshop readiness, Hopkins's collection here has some of the best of the best by way of master poets who tease with a promised rhyme or lend an irresistible cadence that just begs reading aloud.
Marilyn Singer offers these lines about fleas:
The eager bugs
set up shop
in houses, yards,
on St. Bernards.
Can you hear the cadence here? Your younger readers/listeners will be able as well, making Singer's piece just one that can be emulated for style and rhythm of a student's own.
Current Children's Poet Laureate, J. Patrick Lewis offers this not-quite-ready-for-lunchtime piece about maggots:
I'm a maggot.
I'm a marvel
of the larval generation.
I'm a comma
In a drama
of disgusting devastation.
There is a hip hop feel to this piece that invites conversations about internal rhyme and metaphor that younger readers might recognize in classroom-friendly rap pieces. "Spoiled Rotten" really demonstrates why J. Patrick Lewis is a treasured children's poet.
Amy Ludwig Vanderwater's piece, "Lice" will have you looking for your school-provided little black comb after that first itch materializes.
I am the proud owner of a number of Lee Bennett Hopkins's anthologies and collections and he never disappoints, even with a creepy-crawly subject like "bugs." The ability to draw from some of today's best children's poets continue to make Hopkins one to look to and to look for when adding poetry collections to one's classroom library.
"Ladder" this one up with two poetry book coming out this year by children's poetry treasures, Jane Yolen (BUG OFF) and Helen Frost (STEP GENTLY OUT). It's going to be a buggy poetry month this year!
October 28, 2018
1. Awards: None
2. Grade level(s): 1st—4th
3. Original summary: A collection of 16 bug poems from bed-bug to water-bug, written by multiple writers. Each poem focuses on one bug and provides rhyming facts. At the back of the book, readers can find additional facts about each bug.
4. Original review: If you love learning terrifying and repulsive facts about disgusting and dangerous bugs, then this is the book for you. The collection of poems manages to flow smoothly and rhyme while not sacrificing vivid details and facts. The illustrations do justice to each bug with revolting detail yet offer a softness that almost makes them …dare I say…cute?
5. In-class uses:
• Science lesson on identifying insect/bug characteristics
• ELA lesson on fact vs. opinion
2. Grade level(s): 1st—4th
3. Original summary: A collection of 16 bug poems from bed-bug to water-bug, written by multiple writers. Each poem focuses on one bug and provides rhyming facts. At the back of the book, readers can find additional facts about each bug.
4. Original review: If you love learning terrifying and repulsive facts about disgusting and dangerous bugs, then this is the book for you. The collection of poems manages to flow smoothly and rhyme while not sacrificing vivid details and facts. The illustrations do justice to each bug with revolting detail yet offer a softness that almost makes them …dare I say…cute?
5. In-class uses:
• Science lesson on identifying insect/bug characteristics
• ELA lesson on fact vs. opinion
November 8, 2018
Nasty Bugs by Lee Bennett Hopkins is a delightful collection of sixteen poems about "nasty" bugs! Why is it that children are so drawn to bugs?! They will certainly be drawn into this book, perhaps with a little itching and scratching! My students couldn't wait to see what bug was on the next page at our read-aloud. From ticks, to lice, to fire ants, to stink bugs...they are all delightfully discussed in these rhyming and free-verse poems. The poems have catchy titles like "Ode to a Dead Mosquito" and "Termite Tune" which the students enjoyed. Hopkins has done a wonderful job composing these poems written by accomplished children's poets. The illustrations, by Will Terry, are colorful and engaging. The bugs' features are exaggerated which makes them all the more creepy and crawly. I enjoyed using this book to introduce my students to poetry. The last few pages contain "fun facts" about the real-life version of the bugs. These facts can be a resource for an informational writing, as well. Who knows...perhaps Hopkins will win you over to bugs?!
February 6, 2023
I thought this would be a great interdisciplinary read - poetry and science. However, I was pretty disappointed in the book.
The poetry seemed uneven. Some seemed more appropriate for much older students than those to which the book seems to be advertised. Some poems were very cheesy and would appeal only to the toddler crowd.
The illustrations are large and very colorful - probably the best part of the book.
I'd skip this one.
The poetry seemed uneven. Some seemed more appropriate for much older students than those to which the book seems to be advertised. Some poems were very cheesy and would appeal only to the toddler crowd.
The illustrations are large and very colorful - probably the best part of the book.
I'd skip this one.
August 2, 2021
Children's poetry featuring ticks, fire ants, and lice. Icky, but informative.
May 3, 2022
My kids loved these
June 20, 2022
Super informative! But also kinda gross and the bugs all have scary/mean faces.
November 1, 2025
Poems. Cute concept. We aren’t big people, not our type of book.
April 1, 2026
Creepy but clever illustrations
Read
September 5, 2019The genre of this book is nonfiction. It goes into detail about each type of bug. I saw hyperbole within this book with exaggerations of sounds and to make the bugs seem even more nasty. I would use this book for ways of describing words. The words are written in different fonts to show this type of exaggeration.
March 31, 2012
'Nasty Bugs' features poems selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrations by Will Terry. It's a delightful book and will be greatly enjoyed by children of all ages.
The bugs are nasty and gross and include maggots, chiggers, wasps, lice and bed bugs. It's definitely not a read for the faint-of-heart! Sensitive children will have nightmares after seeing the head full of grayish lice as large as fingers in a head of hair, or a large, fanged bed bug hiding under the covers while a child peers anxiously in at the door.
Because the poems are by different poets, there are some really great ones and a few that will be skipped over -- the meter is just a bit off. But most of the poems are itchingly great.
Lice:
"In seven days a batch will hatch, drink human blood, turn brown. In one more week they'll lay more eggs, infesting one more town."
Spoiled Rotten:
"I'm a maggot, I'm a marvel of the larval generation, I'm a comma in a drama of disgusting devastation."
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
The bugs are nasty and gross and include maggots, chiggers, wasps, lice and bed bugs. It's definitely not a read for the faint-of-heart! Sensitive children will have nightmares after seeing the head full of grayish lice as large as fingers in a head of hair, or a large, fanged bed bug hiding under the covers while a child peers anxiously in at the door.
Because the poems are by different poets, there are some really great ones and a few that will be skipped over -- the meter is just a bit off. But most of the poems are itchingly great.
Lice:
"In seven days a batch will hatch, drink human blood, turn brown. In one more week they'll lay more eggs, infesting one more town."
Spoiled Rotten:
"I'm a maggot, I'm a marvel of the larval generation, I'm a comma in a drama of disgusting devastation."
Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/book-in-natio...
February 27, 2015
With splendid rhyming and colorful pictures, this book will have kindergarten and first grade students coming out of their seats with excitement! Nasty Bugs is a great book of poems about bugs and the title says it all! This book would be a fantastic way to introduce a science unit about bugs to a classroom full of young students! With poems about stink bugs and fire ants, among many other wild types of bugs, this book is sure to keep the students entertained while at the same time teaching them about many types of insects that they will probably know nothing about. Onomatopoeia is used throughout to provide a teacher of young children a great way to use voice in order to captivate the attention of the young listeners! This is a book that I would definitely keep around for some interesting conversations in science class about bugs.
December 8, 2012
This is a humorous and entertaining collection about bugs most of us consider quite odious, like fleas, cockroaches, mosquitos and the like.
The poems are short and most of them rhyme and while the poems can be enjoyed individually, we really enjoyed reading them all at one time. The illustrations are colorful and the poor, maligned bugs sorta look cute.
Overall, I think this is a great book of poems and would be useful in a classroom or for storytime. I have to admit that our girls decided to pass on the section in the back that provides additional information about each of the bugs profiled.
The poems are short and most of them rhyme and while the poems can be enjoyed individually, we really enjoyed reading them all at one time. The illustrations are colorful and the poor, maligned bugs sorta look cute.
Overall, I think this is a great book of poems and would be useful in a classroom or for storytime. I have to admit that our girls decided to pass on the section in the back that provides additional information about each of the bugs profiled.
September 22, 2012
Full review at Cracking the Cover
There’s nothing cuddly about the nasty bugs. Even presented in this humorous book, there none to friendly. Bold, almost Pixar-esque illustrations give readers a close-up look at maggots, flies and lice.
“Nasty Bugs” is a fun, fast-moving book of poetry. Kids will enjoy the bigger-than-life illustrations and tongue-in-cheek text. Fun facts about each bug, which are found at the end of the book, are an added bonus.
There’s nothing cuddly about the nasty bugs. Even presented in this humorous book, there none to friendly. Bold, almost Pixar-esque illustrations give readers a close-up look at maggots, flies and lice.
“Nasty Bugs” is a fun, fast-moving book of poetry. Kids will enjoy the bigger-than-life illustrations and tongue-in-cheek text. Fun facts about each bug, which are found at the end of the book, are an added bonus.
February 4, 2013
A collection of creepy, crawly poems by some of today's most beloved children's poets This tribute to the delightful nastiness of bugs features sixteen poems by accomplished children's poets, including Marilyn Singer, J. Patrick Lewis, and Rebecca Andrew Loescher. From "Ode to a Dead Mosquito" to "Termite Tune," this brightly illustrated, kid-friendly collection riffs on the details of the world's most infamous insects. Fun facts about the featured creatures round out this sure bet for poetry fans and bug enthusiasts alike.
April 15, 2012
Any time Lee Bennet Hopkins puts together a collection of poems, I'm at the front of a line waiting to read the book. This is no exception. Will Terry's colorfully intense and lush double-page spread illustrations are equally engaging, blending humor with the science embedded in each poem. This is a book that should be in every classroom, library, poetry unit, and home. Entertaining and informative is a priceless combination.
April 27, 2012
This is an outstanding picture book on many levels: 1) the poetry is so well done, with many different, clever ones included 2) the illustrations are so colorful. They're just WOW! 3)it's also educational. The poems inform, and there is additional information at the back for each type of pest. 4) it's funny and creepy, just what kids like! I can just imagine some students sharing stories when some of the poems are read-- maybe more than we'd want to hear!
August 17, 2013
The tagline is "Poems to make your skin crawl" and they certainly do! These poems demonstrate how research and art can combine with great affect. The poets obviously know their topic and the poems communicate the appearance and interesting (if not disgusting!) traits of these different bugs. Illustrations are in vibrant colors for student appeal. A section in the back goes into more detail about each of these bugs.
June 13, 2014
Poetry book about bugs. Here are some lesson ideas:
* Teacher selects several poems to read aloud to the class and has students draw what they think the bugs look like. Can pair with Nonfiction books about the specific bugs and compare the way the information is presented to students
* In partners, students each get a bug to research and fill out a chart/form on. (Form would list bug name, location, appearance, etc) Students then have to present their bugs findings to the class.
* Teacher selects several poems to read aloud to the class and has students draw what they think the bugs look like. Can pair with Nonfiction books about the specific bugs and compare the way the information is presented to students
* In partners, students each get a bug to research and fill out a chart/form on. (Form would list bug name, location, appearance, etc) Students then have to present their bugs findings to the class.
August 21, 2012
A collection of bug poetry by various authors including Marilyn Singer and Douglas Florian. The gross out factor will surely entice boys and others who want to hear the down and dirty details of how a Water bug injects enzymes in order to "suck suck suck"! And in verse no less. This anthology is sure to find an audience.
January 1, 2015
A book of poetry with a decided ick factor. When I got to the one on lice - I seriously cringed. Each poem is written by a different poet. Well done in both illustrations & poetry. A must have for National Poetry Month.
March 19, 2012
Families will find this collection of poems about some of nature's least desirable critters very delightful. Clever language and bold, bright illustrations will bring smiles, and may even cause some itching! Reviewer 11.
February 22, 2013
Yuck! Not sure entomologists would appreciate the tone of this book. Bunch of poems inform the reader about bugs. Not the best poetry, but probably entertaining to the intended audience. Viciously cute illustrations.
March 19, 2012
Fun collection of verse about creepy crawlies.
June 19, 2012
I think Nasty Bugs has a real shot to win a Nerdy Book Club poetry award.
April 9, 2012
Grades 2-5. Fun poems about bugs, great for use in classrooms studying bugs and for poetry month.
April 12, 2012
Ewwwww-lots of fun!
June 22, 2012
Will Terry's illustrations are so fitting for this book of bug poetry. Great book!
May 17, 2012
Poetry about even the smallest, most obnoxious creatures abounds - ticks, lice, mosquitoes, etc. Fantastic, colorful illustrations make this one very appealing.
May 17, 2012
The vibrant illustrations by Will Terry make this collection of bug poems pop.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews