The Delicious Bug

by Janet Perlman

On a quiet and peaceful day in the forest, beaky birds, lemurs and a tomato frog are hanging out by the pond catching, or trying to catch, their meals. Two chameleon friends, Willy and Wally, are also looking forward to their lunch when a rare thing happens. KerBLAPP - their tongues simultaneously latch onto a passing bumblebug. Who saw the bug first? And who will be the first to let go? As the two argue and fight, their actions lead to serious trouble and threaten the peace of the whole forest. But when Willy and Wally are forced to use teamwork to narrowly escape the jaws of doom, they recognize the virtues of working together. Can they agree to share the mouthwatering bug after all? Janet Perlman's own adaptation of her award-winning animated film Dinner for Two, The Delicious Bug will encourage discussion about the many facets of cooperation and friendship and highlight the importance of peacefully resolving conflict.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Friendship, Storytime, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jamie Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Shining Willow Nominee. This story is very detailed and has lots of humour written into it. This illustrations are bold, colourful, and action-filled. I especially like how there is a main frame and a film-strip type frame down the side of most pages. I also really like how there is narration, speech bubbles and lots of onomatopoeia words throughout the book.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willy and Wally usually share their delicious bug catches with a little tomato frog. But one day, the friends both catch a bug at the same time and don't want to share.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Willy & Wally, chameleons, fight over a bug that they both catch & nearly die in the process, but they manage to act together in time to save themselves from the crocodiles waiting below.

[Chanelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mcdo book :)

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is super preachy and hard to read aloud because of the comic strip format. Meh. Ages 4-7.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Its funny while it teaches about sharing, apologies, & undoing wrongs 💜

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of fun. Many opportunities for discussion. The artwork is enjoyable.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 4-year-old liked this book but sometimes it felt like there were just a few too many things on some of the pages. We don't allow name calling in our house but he laughed when the two chameleon's were doing it (shlobberface, dragonlipsh, krinkle tail, and shkunk cabbage).

It had a good message to it when the two chameleon's were fighting. At one point they almost fell to their death into two crocodile's mouths but instead one of them grabbed a branch as they were falling, then grabbed the other one, saving them both. They became friends again. Then they went around to all the other animals and tried to make things right with each one (during the fight over the most delicious bug, they had a few accidents with the other animals).

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically about a tomato frog who can't catch bugs. His friends Willy and Wally share their bugs all the time with him because Willy and Wally are very good friends. Then one day, Willy and Wally caught the same bug, they started fighting and started throwing things around. And in the end, the very lucky tomato frog got the bug!! And he shared the bug with Willy and Wally.
I picked this book up because one, Mr.Gould gave it to me to read and two, the pictures are really cute! I thought this would be a good book.
I finished this book because Mr.Gould told me to finish it and because I enjoyed the book very much, it was cute and funny and interesting at the same time.
I would recommend this book to everyone of all ages because anyone can read and enjoy this book.

[Raeann Delfratte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book mainly teaches the value of friendship, sharing, and the importance of patching up arguments. The tomato frog was a minor yet important character, highlighted by his selflessness when he shares his bumblebug, even though he isn't very good at catching bugs. The pictures are detailed and interesting, with a comic strip-like feature on every other page, a unique twist that provides extra dimension and point of view to the story. Nearly every page provides some sort of humor, either portrayed through the words or the pictures. I can imagine children getting a good laugh out of this light-hearted story as they anticipate what is next.

[Nielson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willy and Wally, two Chameleon friends, usually are good about sharing food with each other. When a super delicious looking bumblebug flies by, they both grab for it and catch it at the same time. Who got it first!?! Neither of them are willing to let the bumblebug go first so it turns into a full out fight across the rainforest! Only until their lives are in danger do they realize that they need to stop fighting and help each other out. This is a fun book written kind of like a comic book so I think that it would really appeal to kids! EL-OPTIONAL. Whitney, Library-Teacher.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is about two chameleons, Willy and Wally, who are normally really good about sharing with their friends. They have a tomato frog friend who isn’t very good at catching food, so they share their food with him. One day, Willy and Wally catch the same bug with their tongues at the same time. They begin to argue and fight about who deserves the bug. Finally, the tomato bug ends up getting the bug, who then shares the bug with Willy and Wally. This book would be great to teach students about conflict and the importance of sharing all the time.

[Luanne Hatcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute story with fun illustrations! The story started as a quiet and peaceful day in the forest. Two chameleons, Willy and Wally, were hanging out by the pond when a delicious looking bumblebee flew by. Both smacked their lips and went for it at the same time. At first, they both thought it was funny. Then they started arguing over who caught it first and who should let it go. Name calling and fist throwing happen after awhile. Their friendship is salvaged and the forest returns to its peaceful state once again.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tale is illustrated in such a unique and effective way, and it's a good story that's fun to read. The kids laughed in several places through this one, and they were really interested in what the outcome of this brouhaha was going to be. They really enjoyed the events that helped bring about the restoration of order and harmony to the forest in the end. The morals presented in this book are great for kids, and serve as good reminders for adults, as well.

[Jenna Glatzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my daughter's and my favorites. A fun story that's great to read aloud, and teaches valuable lessons about sharing and the value of friendship. When we play-insult each other now, we call each other "Shkunk cabbage!" and "Dragon Lipsh!"

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the NFB film "Dinner For Two" and when I saw this book at my job I had to read it. I thought it was true to what the film had for illustrations but I still love the film. Something about getting a point across without using spoken language makes it more relatable for everyone.

[Valerie]

This is a cute one, but sadly I do not believe the pictures will carry for a storytime crowd.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corny fun for big kids--little ones won't get this one and the layout will make it hard to read aloud. Though I really prefer her penguin books..

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great illustrations. Too small for storytime.

[V.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter got this one thinking it was about a bug, her favorite subject. Unfortunately, the bug doesn't fare so well.

[pati · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pair of chameleons must learn to share and help each other when, during a fight over an insect that both caught at the same time, they wind up dangling from a branch above hungry crocodiles.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zack loved this silly book about two best friend chameleons who get into a fight over a bumblebug. Very funny!

[Anthony villani]

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[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute pictures. The story is pretty good, although I dislike the font choice. That's the nerd in me though. :)

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story--funny storytelling, rich vocabulary, and a cool paneling format to the illustrations that's a little bit comic-book-esque! And a good message about when friends fight, too. :)

[Angie]

Uh, hm. Hm hm hm. This had a lot of twists and turns for a picture book.