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The Bug Came Back: Don't Ignore the Persistant Problems - A Life Lesson for Ages 3-6
Ever Have a Persistant Problem? Ever had one of those days? We all have. A pestering problem. A trying trouble. A bothersome bother. Some things just can't be ignored. Sometimes it's a bug. Sometimes it's bigger. How do you deal with issues and troubles? It's usually best just to deal with it. A reader had this to What a cute little book! While it is written for little ones; it also has a lesson for the rest of us too. When little things bother us and keep distracting us, we have to keep on going. Super cute and great for oral reading!
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
36 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 17, 2019
27 people want to read
About the author
Stacie Morrell
10 books17 followersI must confess something…my family is neurotic. We prefer the term ‘eccentric,’ but truthfully, either is accurate. Raised an only child of two teachers, I lived a rather sheltered life as a child, but managed to get into trouble anyway. We never had money to travel, although we did take a few road trips which were almost epic. Almost. I was with my parents, after all.
We did not have much ‘disposable income,’ and as a result we shopped at used clothes stores and thrift stores. Now it’s cool, but back then…not so much. If you weren’t wearing Jordache jeans, fringed leather, Nikes, or whatever was in style I can’t remember, you were mercilessly ridiculed. Oh, yeah, I lived that, and I don’t mean the Jordache jeans either. I was wearing cords 10 years after they were ‘cool.’ Out of spite, I did not wear cords for about 20 years. Currently I only have 1 pair of cord leggings. I may still bear a slight grudge…
I was a kid who liked to read, wrote poetry, and could not relate to others to save my life. Nowadays I’d probably be evaluated on the Asperger’s spectrum somewhere, but back then they just called you weird or a nerd or a dork or something worse. I had a small group of friends who tolerated me most of the time. But I was lonely and depressed almost always. This was before the Prozac popularity. Oh, well, I survived, even my Freshman year, which we won’t talk about, and graduated high school with a 3.0 average because I was…um…absent most of my senior year. I didn’t want to go to college (one of those hindsight being 20/20 instances we all live to regret), and then hit 18 and lost my mind. Not literally, but parties, late nights (early mornings really), bad boyfriends, sewing wild oats, all came into it. Really it’s a miracle I survived and my parents didn’t completely loose their…sh…poop.
I got married at 19, which probably saved my life, and began a long period of workaholism. I was a respectable adult and, by golly, I was going to prove it to everyone, especially my parents. I think my record was 3 part-time jobs and a volunteer position at one time.
We bought our first house. We thought, ‘It’s only 936 square feet. We’ll fix it up in a year and flip it.’ Ever seen the movie The Money Pit with Shelly Long and Tom Hanks? Yup. Nine years later and an ulcer for my husband I’m sure, we purchased my grandparents’ home from their estate and here we still are. Yeah, this one needs work too, but what the heck. It’s standing. Yes, I like clichés. So there.
Along the years, we gained and lost a variety of rescue pets. Currently, we have two dogs and two cats, subject to change at any moment. Personally, I prefer the cats, but my husband and daughter prefer the dogs. I love them so, we have dogs. My daughter likes both, actually. If it were up to her, we’d have ferrets, birds, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs…getting out of the pet store is not pretty.
At the ripe age of 33, I birthed our daughter, and slipped into postpartum depression. Here enters the Prozac. Actually it was something else to begin with. After my maternity leave I went back to a revised and much more stressful position and spent the next 6 years falling apart emotionally. Between the work stress and the altered body/brain chemicals, I eventually had a ‘severe depressive episode.’ My husband had to force me to seek help. I lasted another six months at my uber stressful job before I mentally crumbled and got fired.
Enter Severe Depressive Episode Two. After being shut in my house for two weeks, I saw a posting for volunteers needed. Eureka! I could volunteer while looking for a job! Being a driven individual with compulsive behavior, I ended up volunteering at 5 different organizations in our town, and ‘working’ more than full time. Then my husband said ‘TIME OUT!’ Really, he said something along the lines of ‘what is your deal?!’ I gracefully bowed out of a couple of volunteer positions, and was then offered a job with one of the organizations I was
We did not have much ‘disposable income,’ and as a result we shopped at used clothes stores and thrift stores. Now it’s cool, but back then…not so much. If you weren’t wearing Jordache jeans, fringed leather, Nikes, or whatever was in style I can’t remember, you were mercilessly ridiculed. Oh, yeah, I lived that, and I don’t mean the Jordache jeans either. I was wearing cords 10 years after they were ‘cool.’ Out of spite, I did not wear cords for about 20 years. Currently I only have 1 pair of cord leggings. I may still bear a slight grudge…
I was a kid who liked to read, wrote poetry, and could not relate to others to save my life. Nowadays I’d probably be evaluated on the Asperger’s spectrum somewhere, but back then they just called you weird or a nerd or a dork or something worse. I had a small group of friends who tolerated me most of the time. But I was lonely and depressed almost always. This was before the Prozac popularity. Oh, well, I survived, even my Freshman year, which we won’t talk about, and graduated high school with a 3.0 average because I was…um…absent most of my senior year. I didn’t want to go to college (one of those hindsight being 20/20 instances we all live to regret), and then hit 18 and lost my mind. Not literally, but parties, late nights (early mornings really), bad boyfriends, sewing wild oats, all came into it. Really it’s a miracle I survived and my parents didn’t completely loose their…sh…poop.
I got married at 19, which probably saved my life, and began a long period of workaholism. I was a respectable adult and, by golly, I was going to prove it to everyone, especially my parents. I think my record was 3 part-time jobs and a volunteer position at one time.
We bought our first house. We thought, ‘It’s only 936 square feet. We’ll fix it up in a year and flip it.’ Ever seen the movie The Money Pit with Shelly Long and Tom Hanks? Yup. Nine years later and an ulcer for my husband I’m sure, we purchased my grandparents’ home from their estate and here we still are. Yeah, this one needs work too, but what the heck. It’s standing. Yes, I like clichés. So there.
Along the years, we gained and lost a variety of rescue pets. Currently, we have two dogs and two cats, subject to change at any moment. Personally, I prefer the cats, but my husband and daughter prefer the dogs. I love them so, we have dogs. My daughter likes both, actually. If it were up to her, we’d have ferrets, birds, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs…getting out of the pet store is not pretty.
At the ripe age of 33, I birthed our daughter, and slipped into postpartum depression. Here enters the Prozac. Actually it was something else to begin with. After my maternity leave I went back to a revised and much more stressful position and spent the next 6 years falling apart emotionally. Between the work stress and the altered body/brain chemicals, I eventually had a ‘severe depressive episode.’ My husband had to force me to seek help. I lasted another six months at my uber stressful job before I mentally crumbled and got fired.
Enter Severe Depressive Episode Two. After being shut in my house for two weeks, I saw a posting for volunteers needed. Eureka! I could volunteer while looking for a job! Being a driven individual with compulsive behavior, I ended up volunteering at 5 different organizations in our town, and ‘working’ more than full time. Then my husband said ‘TIME OUT!’ Really, he said something along the lines of ‘what is your deal?!’ I gracefully bowed out of a couple of volunteer positions, and was then offered a job with one of the organizations I was
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 13, 2014
I received a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ever had one of those days where a bothersome bug just doesn't know when to quit? The girl in this book certainly has!
This lovely book is told in rhyme all of the time,
The pictures are pretty and story is witty,
A book kids will enjoy as much as a new toy,
The bug came back, nearly giving the child a heart attack,
But now the bug is gone and she can carry on.
A great book just like cream cheese, I guarantee it won't displease!
So download it now, for you know how,
Or the bug just might come back again!
Ever had one of those days where a bothersome bug just doesn't know when to quit? The girl in this book certainly has!
This lovely book is told in rhyme all of the time,
The pictures are pretty and story is witty,
A book kids will enjoy as much as a new toy,
The bug came back, nearly giving the child a heart attack,
But now the bug is gone and she can carry on.
A great book just like cream cheese, I guarantee it won't displease!
So download it now, for you know how,
Or the bug just might come back again!
September 28, 2014
**Interview with my 5 year old son**
Me: What did you think of that book?
Him: I loved it! It was awesome!
Me: How many points would you give it out of 5?
Him: 100.
Me: What was your favourite bit?
Him: When the bug got squashed.
I read this book aloud to my 3 year old daughter and 5 year old son. They were both engaged in the story and made buzzing sounds with me everytime the bug came along. The text had a repeating pattern which both kids were able to predict after a few pages. The illustrations were well detailed and both kids were able to identify the characters emotions from the pictures.
I recieved this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Me: What did you think of that book?
Him: I loved it! It was awesome!
Me: How many points would you give it out of 5?
Him: 100.
Me: What was your favourite bit?
Him: When the bug got squashed.
I read this book aloud to my 3 year old daughter and 5 year old son. They were both engaged in the story and made buzzing sounds with me everytime the bug came along. The text had a repeating pattern which both kids were able to predict after a few pages. The illustrations were well detailed and both kids were able to identify the characters emotions from the pictures.
I recieved this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2014
It is just another typical day for our adorable main character or is it? She gets up and gets dressed, eats her breakfast and tries to carry on as usual but a pesky bug keeps interrupting and flying by almost landing in her eye. It is bad enough the first time it happens, but time and time again that pesky bug returns and tries to invade her private space. Each time the little girl retaliates by swatting at it to make it go away and quit bothering her. All would be fine for a time and then guess what? Back it would come again buzzing by ... I am sure just to annoy her. What is a girl to do to get rid of of that pest forever?
The illustrations are just wonderful. They are big, bold and colourful with lots of action and emotion that truly drive the story. The vocabulary is rich and gives lots of opportunity to discuss and learn new words. The story, although simple, can truly be anyone's story so kids (and adults) can relate to it and discuss possibilities of becoming a bug exterminator. This charming tale is filled with humour and is fun to read aloud.
The illustrations are just wonderful. They are big, bold and colourful with lots of action and emotion that truly drive the story. The vocabulary is rich and gives lots of opportunity to discuss and learn new words. The story, although simple, can truly be anyone's story so kids (and adults) can relate to it and discuss possibilities of becoming a bug exterminator. This charming tale is filled with humour and is fun to read aloud.
July 24, 2014
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review . . .
Have you ever had a bug that seems to follow you around, no matter what you're doing? The child in this beautifully illustrated story has just that problem! The story is engaging, with a repeated rhyme phrase that children will enjoy joining in with. A lovely book that younger children will want to have read to them or to read (when they are able to do so independently) again and again - highly recommended!
Have you ever had a bug that seems to follow you around, no matter what you're doing? The child in this beautifully illustrated story has just that problem! The story is engaging, with a repeated rhyme phrase that children will enjoy joining in with. A lovely book that younger children will want to have read to them or to read (when they are able to do so independently) again and again - highly recommended!
August 2, 2014
This book was great and so true. As soon as I finished my kids wanted me to read it again. I thought it was wonderful that a book ended the bug's reign of terror. By the way, you can insert "roach" for bug and it works just fine.
October 11, 2014
Adorable! This cute picture book follows a little girl through her day, from rising in the morning to going to bed at night. As she goes about her day, a little bug keeps coming back and pestering her - flying "right by her eye!" As she's getting into bed at night, she's finally able to squash the annoying bug.
Really enjoyed the illustrations and the rhyme scheme. There is a refrain throughout the book - "the bug came back," etc. The rest of the book is rhyming gerunds as the little girl experiences different parts of her day (ie, in the morning, "breakfast, crunching, slurping, munching"). The book had some delightfully whimsical moments - the little girl wonders whether to wear pants or a skirt in the morning when she's getting dressed. Later you see that she has on both. The only minor drawback to this book was that it looked self-published. The illustrations and presentation didn't quite have the quality of a professionally published picture book. However, I hope a major publisher picks this one up based on its cuteness alone. It would be great for very small children - 1 to 4 year olds, probably, based on the simple language and regular refrain.
Free digital ARC from NetGalley.
Really enjoyed the illustrations and the rhyme scheme. There is a refrain throughout the book - "the bug came back," etc. The rest of the book is rhyming gerunds as the little girl experiences different parts of her day (ie, in the morning, "breakfast, crunching, slurping, munching"). The book had some delightfully whimsical moments - the little girl wonders whether to wear pants or a skirt in the morning when she's getting dressed. Later you see that she has on both. The only minor drawback to this book was that it looked self-published. The illustrations and presentation didn't quite have the quality of a professionally published picture book. However, I hope a major publisher picks this one up based on its cuteness alone. It would be great for very small children - 1 to 4 year olds, probably, based on the simple language and regular refrain.
Free digital ARC from NetGalley.
August 11, 2014
A free copy of this book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Bug Came Back is the story of a girl who wakes up one day only to have a bug fly in front of her eye. She swats it away, but it keeps coming back - when she's doing her work, when she's having her breakfast, when she's having a bath. The bug won't go away and the girl just keeps getting more and more frustrated, until she finally finds a solution right before bed.
The Bug Came Back is a nice rhyming book, probably suitable for 5-7 year olds, about the annoyance that stray bugs can cause, something I think that most people can empathise with. The illustrations that go with the story are nice and funny, especially the drawings. of the girl getting more and more frustrated. My one little niggle is that it seems to end without a 'nice' conclusion, but that's a minor thing really and down to personal preference.
A nice rhyming story with some good, funny illustrations to accompany it. 4 stars.
The Bug Came Back is the story of a girl who wakes up one day only to have a bug fly in front of her eye. She swats it away, but it keeps coming back - when she's doing her work, when she's having her breakfast, when she's having a bath. The bug won't go away and the girl just keeps getting more and more frustrated, until she finally finds a solution right before bed.
The Bug Came Back is a nice rhyming book, probably suitable for 5-7 year olds, about the annoyance that stray bugs can cause, something I think that most people can empathise with. The illustrations that go with the story are nice and funny, especially the drawings. of the girl getting more and more frustrated. My one little niggle is that it seems to end without a 'nice' conclusion, but that's a minor thing really and down to personal preference.
A nice rhyming story with some good, funny illustrations to accompany it. 4 stars.
January 18, 2015
I received a free digital copy for review.
This book had wonderful illustrations and a cute story of a nagging little bug. The bug keeps interrupting the fun moments of the day. Little ones will enjoy the rhythm of the words and phrases.
I only have two picky little complaints.
1. The whimsical font was a bit difficult for my 4 year old to read. I know that most families will be reading this TO their child and won't matter. Both of our children started reading by age three and my youngest was frustrated that some of the words were in an awkward font that was hard for him to discern at times.
2. Some children may love the sudden "end" to the bug and find it silly. My children would have probably preferred an ending where it escapes out the window.
This book had wonderful illustrations and a cute story of a nagging little bug. The bug keeps interrupting the fun moments of the day. Little ones will enjoy the rhythm of the words and phrases.
I only have two picky little complaints.
1. The whimsical font was a bit difficult for my 4 year old to read. I know that most families will be reading this TO their child and won't matter. Both of our children started reading by age three and my youngest was frustrated that some of the words were in an awkward font that was hard for him to discern at times.
2. Some children may love the sudden "end" to the bug and find it silly. My children would have probably preferred an ending where it escapes out the window.
August 3, 2014
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Ever had one of those days when a bug of some sort just seemed to be everywhere you were? And no amount of shoo-ing would get rid of it? That is the basis for this gorgeous little story.
The text features a lot of rhyming and repetitive sentences which is good for little ones to help build their vocabulary and the illustrations are very well done - some of them made me laugh...as did the ending.
A great story for children...and for adults to read to them.
Paul
ARH
Ever had one of those days when a bug of some sort just seemed to be everywhere you were? And no amount of shoo-ing would get rid of it? That is the basis for this gorgeous little story.
The text features a lot of rhyming and repetitive sentences which is good for little ones to help build their vocabulary and the illustrations are very well done - some of them made me laugh...as did the ending.
A great story for children...and for adults to read to them.
Paul
ARH
August 9, 2014
I enjoyed The Bug Came Back for many reasons. I thought it was a great rhyming book for more secure emergent readers almost ready for chapter books. I like the artwork and love the depictions of the daily routine.
I gave the book four stars ONLY because she is chasing the bug in a towel. I know some rating scales will not allow books in a daycare, day school, or licensed after school program because of the towel and "too much skin".
Personally, I would buy for my children. I think it is an adorable book and I love the vocabulary introduced.
I gave the book four stars ONLY because she is chasing the bug in a towel. I know some rating scales will not allow books in a daycare, day school, or licensed after school program because of the towel and "too much skin".
Personally, I would buy for my children. I think it is an adorable book and I love the vocabulary introduced.
January 3, 2015
A wonderful picture book with a cute story. I smiled throughout the whole story. What does one do when something is "bugging" you? Do you give up or face it?
The illustrations are wonderful. The story rhymes making it fun to read silently or out loud! The story has a surprise ending which I didn't expect. Don't miss out. Read it!
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The illustrations are wonderful. The story rhymes making it fun to read silently or out loud! The story has a surprise ending which I didn't expect. Don't miss out. Read it!
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
December 27, 2014
I didn't care for this one. I really didn't like the illustrations, but I did raise my opinion when I starting reading and realized how great all the vocab building was. This would be great for toddlers due to the brevity of the text, but then there's a page when the girl is "studying," which is at odds with what I thought of as the intended audience. The ending is pretty shocking (good or bad, depending on your personality,) and kind of funny.
October 9, 2014
DESTROY That Bug!
This young reader is adorable and funny. It teaches perseverance despite annoyances big or small. I really love the nothing can keep me down attitude and think it's a valuable life lesson for all people to learn whether they be little people or big people!
***This is written at a k-1st grade level but is totally appropriate to be read to younger children
This young reader is adorable and funny. It teaches perseverance despite annoyances big or small. I really love the nothing can keep me down attitude and think it's a valuable life lesson for all people to learn whether they be little people or big people!
***This is written at a k-1st grade level but is totally appropriate to be read to younger children
July 28, 2014
The Bug Came Back
Authored by Stacie Morrell
Illustrated by Elizabeth Berg
This is a very simple story with beautiful illustrations. The story is about what happens as the day goes on. Nothing seems to be going right and then on top of it there's a very nagging bug that just won't quit.
Authored by Stacie Morrell
Illustrated by Elizabeth Berg
This is a very simple story with beautiful illustrations. The story is about what happens as the day goes on. Nothing seems to be going right and then on top of it there's a very nagging bug that just won't quit.
August 28, 2014
Got this free from Netgalley. It seemed pretty low budget, like someone scanned some drawings and uploaded them to a Word doc. I don't like rhyming at the best of times, and this was mostly just a waste of mine.
September 13, 2014
Hand drawn illustrations are well done. I liked them, and the rhyme scheme was clever. Some children might be upset that the bug died. It would be better if she'd caught it and let it outside in the end.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews