A picture book about science, bugs and beedogs. Wait....what's a beedog? While building a unique sandcastle, Cora and Manny spot a rather curious little insect. Soon, the intrepid scientists keep a watchful eye on the insect’s movements, while learning about the natural environment along the way. A world of discovery awaits little adventurers in this delightful picture book for children aged 4-8. A great book for STEM education and home-school projects or just curious little ones who love science. Book extras include fun activities related to scientific classification and research.
Addie is an avid traveler, and once went on a solo journey to fifteen countries in one year. When she encounters something unique, she writes about it. Her first published picture book, The Beedog, is about a curious insect that she found in southern Portugal.
Addie began her writing journey when she was just nine years old, with a book called Doggienauts. That book has been updated and is set for publication in 2019. Addie is originally from the United States, and is currently a full-time traveler. Home is where her suitcase is.
5☆ A Beautifully illustrated children's book about discovering nature.
The Beedog is a gorgeous children's book that is beautifully illustrated which will help children to understand about nature, working together, how to search for something on the internet and sharing.
The characters are loveable and children will be able to relate to them perfectly. I especially like how Addie has bought her story and characters into the 21st century by using mobiles to capture videos and the use of computers too search. Ok so some people may not like this concept but it's current and alot of children use technology everyday. Lol my 5year old cousin knows how to use a computer better than me!
The pace is perfect, it's short sharp and to the point which will keep children's attention. I love the little extra information at the back about Beedogs and the printable worksheets. They are a great extension for further investigation and learning, for parents and schools. I would love to see this book in schools.
Even I have learnt a few things by reading this beautiful book. For example a little bit of Portuguese and a fascinating new insect.
The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal is the perfect read for alone reading, group discussion and parent or bed time. I adored the illustrations so bright and engaging. I loved how just learning about one new insect can open up to learning more about nature in a fun way.
I only wish there was more Portuguese language to learn. But I understand it's not easy to focus on more than one subject, but the little bit there was, was perfect.
I highly recommend this adorable book, I would absolutely love to see The Beedog in schools it most definitely belongs there.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Cora and Manny are off to the beach with their Mum. Whilst there they decide to build a sandcastle in the shape of their pet cat Luna. Once built the pair have a game of Frisbee, but Manny ends up falling on the sandcastle. It is then that he notices something moving. A bug that looks like a bee, but it is digging in the sand like a dog – A Beedog!
Once home the pair decides to try and find what the bug really was on the computer and learn all about it. It was a Sand Wasp or Bembix Rostrata (Latin name).
The Beedog is a very short children’s book that teaches kids about the Sand Wasp – It also has information on other species of wasp too. The book has beautiful illustrations that really do stand off the page and bring the story to life.
The text is clear and easy to read, perfect for new readers. It also shows the two children playing together, having fun and learning how to research something together, cooperating. These are skills that all children need to learn.
At the back of the book is factual information on wasps. There is also a link to printable information and worksheets too, meaning that this book would be a great asset for a classroom project.
I enjoy the story and learned a lot about a wasp I’d never heard of before.
A great book that highlights making memories and discoveries. I loved how colorful and easy to understand the book was and how it encourages asking questions, doing research and understanding trail and error. I think this is a great book for all young readers and discoverers!
*** Note: I received e-copy of the book as a part of Blog Tour, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author Rachel’s Random Resources and Publishers. ***
A colorful scientific classroom book about the insect discovery on the beach by character of the book, Cora and many, who later research more about the insect and shares the information with their friends in school.
The opening of the book was great with two friends enjoying their day on beach in Portugal where an insect draw their attention and make them curious to know more about it. They didn’t know what it is called so gave it a funny name ’The Beedog’. I won’t tell you which insect it was you can take the hint from the cover.
Both kids did a good research and found out details themselves. I liked their observational and research skill. They used technology in smart way and prepared the series of question answers to share with friends. It gave a good bit of information to readers including the importance of scientific name and interesting facts on the insect and other rare types.
I liked the way author included travel, technology, beach, and learning info in fun way that attracts young readers and teachers to the book. What I loved most about the book was fun activity at the end of the book that will encourage kids to observe surrounding, research, Google things and make a notes on it just like characters in the book. There is also a game, a creativity page for kids who love to draw, questions that kids can answer from the picture book and creative writing prompts. Amazing, right?
It was a fun way to teach kids. Teachers can imitate fun activity from this book and can teach kids about other insects, plants, animals, birds and many more things.
Overall, it was colorful resourceful educational book with fun way of teaching that all kids would love to read and learn. It is best book teachers can have in their classroom.
The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal, written by Addie Broussard and illustrated by Joyeeta Neogi, tells the story of Cora and her friend from next door, Manny, who visit a beach in Portugal. While they are playing in the sand, making a sand sculpture of Cora’s cat, they see a strange bee and watch as it shovels sand. It almost looks like the bee is making a sand sculpture too. After they enjoy their day at the beach, Cora and Manny go on to their computer to find out more details about the bee, because they want to know why it was shoveling sand. It takes a while, but eventually they find out all about the insect and why it was digging in the sand.
The author, Addie Broussard, has written a delightful story which is not only entertaining in itself, but also informative about certain types of insects and their habitats. Add to that the activity pages at the end which give the young reader lots of information in a fun way, and this book would make an ideal addition to any classroom for young learners. The illustrations are colourful and depict the characters perfectly, with Cora looking fun and Manny full of mischief. The cover is particularly appealing. Both author and illustrator have really brought this story to life and it is bound to attract the young reader. Enjoyable and informative.
Personally, as a social educator, I loved this story. It was quick and entertaining and I can see how it could be use in classes or activities to promote kids curiosity about nature, especially insects. It could be the provoker for an activity.
Since it talks about Portugal, even if it's a small reference, it was a sweet touch to me. So I do hope it gets translated one day. And I loved the brilliant work the illustrator did, because Praia do Carvalho in the illustration really looked like the real thing. You could see in the background the features of the rocks that made it look like the beach.
I have never been to Praia do Carvalho, it's in the south of Portugal, and I live in the central coast. But I'm happy that the setting of the book was in my country. It made me so excited and curious.
About the actual story, like I said before it was a quick and entertaining book. It reminded me of fun moments with friends and family during summer time. It reminds me of just exploring and learning new things. That's what's being a kid is all about. It's about having fun, going on an adventure, going out on a bike and drive around in our hometown and going for walks in the forest, seeing animals and connecting with nature. And then, going back to our other friends once Summer is over and teaching them what we learn during our vacations. It's about learning, teaching and sharing knowledge, while having fun.
That been said, this book was perfect to me. I loved how it has that childhood adventure feeling and curiosity to learn more. So, of course I would recommend this book for parents, teachers, educators... I would recommend the book and the complimentary activities that come with the book because they are so cute and interesting that kids would have fun with it. The "Outdoor Creative Writing Prompts" was fantastic. And I loved the "Let's Go to Portugal" one too.
Want to feel like a kid and go on a learning and fun adventure? Read this short story and remember your childhood.
[Thank you Rachel, at Rachel’s Random Resources, and Addie for the eCopy of the book and for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour and give my honest review.]
Cora and Manny are heading to the beach in Portugal. Once there, they build a sand castle, but a funny accident soon destroys it. While recovering from disaster, Manny discovers a 'beedog' digging in the sand. With their curiosity on high-gear, Cora and Manny try to discover more about this strange bug.
This is a picture book which manages to incorporate a story kids can relate to with a foreign country and science too. In other words, it has a lot going for it. The illustrations are simple but colorful and easy to follow even if someone isn't on hand sometimes to read it aloud. The text is kept short and for the most part, sticks to a simple vocabulary. The story itself could flow better, and it's the other aspects of this book which make it pull through. The adventure is clever in so far that it's something many kids understand (building sand castles.) An extra dash of humor and the perfect portrayal of a sibling relationship makes it easy to identify with.
The science side slides in seamlessly as the kids discover a wasp digging in the sand. The author allows Cora and Manny to continue their research at home on the internet through a search engine. The word combinations they use to finally reach the desired information also shows readers/listeners how to approach such searches themselves.
At the end of the book, not only is there more information concerning the so-called 'Beedog' but an entire page is spent exploring other rare wasps and other interesting tidbits. The knowledge isn't only great for homeschoolers but also for curious kids who love to learn more about the world about them.
I received a complimentary copy and it enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
I love a book that not only will children enjoy and learn from, but so will the adults. An adventure to the beach becomes a learning time for two children as they discover what they think is a bee building a sandcastle. Once home they research it only to learn that it is actually a type of wasp. These are the types of books I like to share with my grandchildren. The book not only had a wonderful story, but also had extra information and resources at the end. I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
A cute story with delightful illustrations. As a former educator, I particularly liked the emphasis on discovery, and the children’s use of trial and error to find answers through their research - a great way to introduce the scientific method or presenting facts to children. I especially enjoyed the additional facts about wasps and Carl Linnaeus provided at the end of the book.
The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal is a children’s educational picture book written by Addie Broussard and illustrated by Joyeeta Neogi. Cora and her friend, Manny, were all ready for a fun-filled day at Carvalho beach in Portugal. They had their beach towels, sand buckets and frisbees ready and waiting. Cora’s mom drove them to the beach where they marvelled at the beauty of the beach and the surrounding hillsides. Cora and Manny were having a grand time building a sand castle and playing when they suddenly discovered a strange insect that seemed to also be building a sand castle. Cora thought it looked like a bee, but she wondered about how its eyes were different, and the digging behavior was definitely strange. When they got home, they decided to try to find out what their little 'beedog' actually was.
Addie Broussard’s educational picture book for children, The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal, is a book filled with beach time fun that also teaches kids about travel to other countries and the different types of animals and insects one might encounter. I loved watching how Cora and Manny use their computer skills to research the beedog and identify it. Joyeeta Neogi’s illustrations are brilliant and lots of fun. From gorgeous views of sandy beaches to a whimsical picture of a bee holding a sand shovel, each panel is boldly colored and works to reinforce the story. The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal is an ideal selection for story time, but the print size and carefully limited vocabulary also make it a perfect choice for a new reader. It’s most highly recommended.
Reviewed by Donna Gielow McFarland for Readers' Favorite
The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal by Addie Broussard is a picture book about two children, Manny and Cora, and their trip to the beach. After building a sand version of a cat named Luna, and then going SPLAT and looking like a mummy, Manny discovers an interesting bug. Manny and Cora decide it’s a bee, but it’s digging in the sand like a dog, so they call it a beedog. Back at home, the children research online to learn what kind of a bug it really is. They search for “beedog,” but they get pictures of dogs in bee costumes, so they have to figure out a better way to describe what they’re looking for. At the end of the book are some scientific facts about the bug they found. If you sign up on the book’s website, you also have access to printable educational resources.
The Beedog has a lot of kid appeal with color illustrations on every page. I think kids will relate to going to the beach or finding a new type of bug, but they will definitely relate to trying to find something online only to come up with unexpected results! I thought this part of the book was the most well done. I typed “beedog” into Google and I, too, got pictures of dogs in bee costumes. That’s good, because kids are going to want to try it after reading The Beedog. Addie Broussard does a nice job of telling a story that her target audience (ages 4-8) can easily relate to. The Beedog is especially recommended for young bug lovers.
During a day at the beach Cora and Manny discover a creature they think might be a Beedog.
The Beedog is an entertaining and educational book for children aged around 6-9. I think some words like ‘recess’ instead of ‘playtime’ make it slightly more applicable to an American audience but even so I think this ‘different’ vocabulary could lead to some interesting research and discussions about language use in different parts of the world.
The story is simple and entertaining and gives a smashing prompt to children to look at, and find out about, nature. I really liked the extra activities that are available to go with the story so that there is the opportunity for art, creative writing, exercise and geography to name just a few things to go alongside the environmental science in the narrative.
The illustrations are lovely, being bright and colourful and balancing the amount of text really well.
I think The Beedog will appeal both to children and the adults sharing it with them because it is a fun tale with strong educational aspects. Great stuff!
This is a fun story to read that will also help children learn about science and nature.
The story is easy to follow and I love that children are learning as they turn the pages and there are some excellent activities and resources at the end of the book to carry on their learning.
This is definitely the kind of book that I would have loved as a child. Excellent images and very well laid out.
The story is told by 6-year-old Cora, who visits the beach with her mum and her friend Manny where they discover a Beedog as part of their adventure. They go on to research more information when they get home and have fun sharing their finds.
From an educator’s point of view, there are lots of prompts for further conversation and opportunities to predict what might happen next, as well as the factual information that makes learning fun. For the children, there is some slapstick humour that will have them laughing along with repetitive phrases to join in with. The pictures will be appealing to children with brightly coloured cartoon like illustrations. At the end of the book, there is a fact file and link to the downloadable activity pack.
The pack is brilliant both complimenting and extending the story. It includes 3 activities where children go off and complete, including visiting a given website, searching online for answers and exploring their own environment and recording their finds. Then a further 5 activity sheets with colouring, drawing and quizzes, followed by a whole host of writing prompts. There is a good range of activities suitable for older and younger children within the 4-8 age range.
I think this is a wonderful package for children, parents and teachers to share. My only slight negative is that in one part of the story the children were using loo roll for fun on the beach, and I felt the tidying up after could have been pointed out. But that’s probably the teacher in me. I’m happy to recommend this book.
This is a cute little book aimed at age 4+ but younger children will enjoy the pictures while the older ones can learn from the writing or answering the questions. There are some nice printouts available to download & colour in, so a fair amount of entertainment squidged into one book.
Manny & Cora go on an outing to the beach with Mom ..the story beautifully illustrates all that they see & do. They embark on the hunt for The Beedog but you may be surprised at what they find. Educationally the book easily provides information via the vivid pictures, the vocabulary may be a little strange to non Americans’ but simple enough to explain if the child picks up on it.
For any kids or parents who have taken an interest in science & nature this is an ideal read, you can then actually go out to the destination, in this case the beach & actually search for the critters yourself. Once home & the comparisons have been done you can then colour in … I would have really enjoyed something like this when I was a child & just as much so as a parent, I fully endorse anything that encourages learning in children.
My only slight niggle is whether Manny actually tidied up the toilet paper & took it home instead of littering the beach!?
Thanks to the author, illustrator, publisher and Rachel from Random Resources for inviting me onto the blog blitz. All opinions are my own.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this with my little girl, Eva, who has just turned five! Here is what Eva thought:
'I thought it was funny when Manny fell on top of Luna! I wish my dog could dig as fast in the sand as the beedog did. I liked finding out about the beedog and all of the different wasps that are about - my favourite is the cuckoo wasp because its rainbowy '.
Hearing my little girl laugh out loud because of the sand and watching her eyes go wide when she realised that the beedog, or bembix rostrata as it's scientifically called, was in fact a real thing. The illustrations were very clear, supporting the story with such colourful pictures, bringing the story to life one pixel at a time. I am going to be homeschooling my daughter and I will be using this book in her studies as thats how much I enjoyed it - I really do think children will benefit from the book as it isn't overpowering at all. In fact, I'll go as far to say that even I learnt something. I really do hope that I am able to find the other books to help further my daughter's education when she starts homeschooling.
Such a lovely, educational book for children and parents alike.
In a couple of weeks I shall be reading this to my 3 year old grand daughter. She is very clever, daughter of a PHd Scientist, her mother, I shall be very interested what she and her mother think of the book. I reckon it will go down well and the science touch will be much appreciated. Pity my kindle doesn't show colour, I think that, though not your fault, could be a drawback. I can see that I'm going to be editing this review later. I read this to my 3 year old. There was no problem with the black and white drawings on kindle, she still was interested and asked questions. She was completely interested in the story, in fact loved. I laughed when it got to the part where the children were asking why the beedog was digging, for a bone they thought. "No," my grand daughter said, "he's making a house." Which basically was what he was doing. I did not deal with the very scientific part at the end of the story as I felt that was beyond her. But, the story intended for six and above was successful with a three year old and a great scientific introduction. Yes, well done!
Yay! It’s beach day! Cora and Manny are going to Carvalho Beach in Portugal. At the beach, they make sand sculptures, play in the water, and discover a mysterious bug that looks like a bee but digs like a dog. “Maybe it thinks it’s a dog and wants to hide a bone.” Cora and Manny decide to call it a beedog, but what is it really? Read The Beedog to find out.
Opinion: The Beedog is an amusing book about an amazing insect. It mixes facts with the fun of going to the beach. This is a great book for young readers who are interested in the world around them and eager to get answers to their questions. Kids under 10 should make a beeline for Addie Broussard’s book. Happy reading!
Reviewed by a LitPick student book reviewer Age 12
I accepted this book from Two Umbrellas via Librarything to read and review. It is a beautiful book with fun illustrations that kids will appreciate. They can have fun seeking out extra items in the pictures. The voice of the text is appropriate to young children and not boring for adults to read.
My only change would be to make the girl narrating look a bit younger in some of the illustrations. In a few does she look more mature than age six. (Although I also have a young niece who looks older than she is.)
It was also fun for us, as non Spanish speakers, to see unusual words in the pictures. I like the explanations and extra resources.
This delightful book reminds us of the joy of discovering something for the first time. Young readers will be swept along in Cora and Manny’s curiosity as they search to find out about this mysterious little creature. The story encourages enquiry and shows the persistence Cora and Manny apply to their search for information about the bug they have found. This is a fun book, with wonderful illustrations. It is a great science resource for primary school, and gives young learners a very clear model of the research process. I can’t wait to share ‘The Beedog’ with my students when we study bugs again in my classroom.
This is inspired learning! I am excited about this book; I cannot wait to share this book with my grandkids on an upcoming camping trip on Lake Michigan! I can see the possibilities for learning and activities! I love this concept! It's the best thing I've read for kids since the Magic School Bus, but has practical applications as well--sand castles, bug watching, map reading, creative wroting possibilities, art inspiration, and even physical activities! (There are also beautiful illustrations!)
A day trip to a beach in Portugal leads to a curious discovery by two friends: a beedog! The fun illustrations, detailed story, and facts discovered online work together in unison to teach young ones about sand wasps in a non-threatening way. The children’s research was relatable and relevant to today’s tech. As a parent, I appreciate this style of learning. And I loved Manny’s sandcastle prop that he brought from home.
This is an outstanding read for my grandkids. I like to read to them sitting on my lap. This educational book will help them to be on the lookout for little critters when they are outside. The additional exercises will be a plus for learning about this critter!
Just the right amount of text to accompany each picture which were cute and eye catching. I love books that throw in some academics and this even has printable at the end.
I read this book with my niece. We both really enjoyed it, and the information was entertaining and educational. I would love to show this to my homeschool co-op for the science class! There is even a link to a video to watch the sand wasps. So cool.
An adorable children's book. I loved the vividly-colored images. A great way to get kids interested in the world around them and science. Read my full review at Girl Who Reads
I was given a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Beedog: An Insect Discovery in Portugal is a really beautifully illustrated, educational story book for younger children. Children will be delighted with this adventure story which starts with a day trip to the beach, but will also learn a little about Portugal and wasp varieties, as well as researching a topic using a computer.
The main characters are six-year olds, Manny and Cora. We follow them as they discover and observe the behaviour of a flying insect. They don't know what it is but are determined to find out once they get home.
We watch them using a computer to search the web and identify the strange insect. Through trial and error, on their third attempt, they discover the real name of this insect, and then find out a bit more about it to tell their class the next day.
At the end of the story is more information about the insect - introducing more complex vocabulary, such as "vibrational sounds", and pictures of other types of wasp.
There is also a link to free printable resources available from the author's website which encourages searching for information on the web, imagining and drawing a picture, a playground activity, a geography test, a wasp identification line-up based on information in the book, and finally a colouring activity.
I highly recommend this book as a Key Stage 1 children's storybook and learning resource.
My thanks to author Addie Broussard for a free digital copy of this book to review.