Built Like a Bug: How Insects Inspire Everyday Inventions

by Anjali Joshi, Kathleen Ng (Illustrator)

A fascinating look at the ingenious engineering and incredible anatomical design of insects, and how they are inspiring scientists to create a more sustainable world.

Insects are the tiny superheroes of the natural world: from the way they can camouflage themselves to their amazing teamwork, their incredible superpowers have been inspiring scientists for generations. And the more we discover about insect behavior―how they use energy, navigate, adapt, and more―the more they can teach us about how to live. 

Beautifully designed with full-color illustration throughout and packed with STEM content, Built Like a Bug invites readers to look beyond what they think they know about the teeny tiny creepy crawlers all around us. Could we one day adapt to avoid harmful foods like cockroaches? Will needles mimicking mosquitoes hurt less? How could drones modeled after dragonfly wings help prevent environmental disasters? What can termites teach us about how to stay cool in an increasingly warming world? Across eight chapters featuring sidebars, accessible language, and multiple examples from the insect world, science educator Anjali Joshi’s exploration of the amazing inventions borne from studying bug behavior will enthrall insect enthusiasts and insectophobes alike.

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2026

Reviews

[Lin]

This is such a creative kids' book.

I'm not sure if it will appeal to a large audience, but it absolutely appealed to my bug-loving 8-year-old and her sister, who appreciates a cool idea/invention. I loved how each page felt almost interactive, with arrows pointing to important facts or images. Great facts peppered in throughout (like prehistoric dragonflies' 2-foot wingspan!)

My only negative feedback is that visually it appeals to a younger crowd, maybe 6-10yo, but some of it feels a bit advanced for that age group. The facts/information is geared more towards the 9-12yo crowd. I could see younger kids picking this up and not being able to connect with the information, or on the flip side - older kids avoiding the cute cover + layout, when they'd benefit greatly from the information.

Overall, though, I loved this one. I will likely be purchasing a copy for my kids, even though they've already read this online copy with me.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!

[Tabby Clark]

Built Like a Bug by Anjali Joshi, was a fun kids read. I think this book would be a great resource book because it has an abundance of facts. Even a ton of things I didn't know about! One thing I learned was how mosquitoes operate when they're eating, and that its not actually the bite itself that makes you itchy and hurt, its their saliva. Built Like a Bug is full of wonderful illustrations, some showing you each part of different species of insects, spider, ect. This book is very easy to read, I think from ages 8 and up would be able to read most words by themselves.
I think this would be a great gift for a 'random facts kid', or any child who has an interest in insects.

[Mary-Esther Lee]

Intriguing. Good for budding scientists.

[Vj]

Gr. 3-6.