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Insect Soup
A Parents’ Guide Award-Winning Book! The winner of the Parents’ Guide Award for Outstanding Children’s Books, this long awaited sequel to Barry’s animal bestiary is a brand new collection of wonderfully witty poems about the funniest bugs on the planet. From the praying mantis to chiggers, kids will discover that the weird and wacky bugs are the most fun. Even the dung beetle, brilliantly illustrated in a tuxedo with formal serving tray, finally gets the recognition he deserves. An index of the featured creatures rounds out the fun with descriptions of each bug and noted entomological characteristics. As First Coast Parent Magazine writes, “If you’re not familiar with Barry Polisar’s enchanting yet loony brand of children’s poetry, try his books. There’s nothing sugary about Polisar’s writing. Zany and sophisticated, Polisar’s poetry is a great way to show the child interested in poetry how much fun you can have writing verse. But it’s also an education about the topic of his rhymes.He concludes the book with dictionary definitions of each insect. The illustrations from chiggers to cockroaches to ticks are excellent.”
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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51 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 19, 2021
This book is about different kinds of insects. It also describes and is illustrated what the insects look like! It is explained throughout the book what the bugs tend to do and how they can affect you.
Insect soup is composed of poetry in the form of a single poem-picture book. There are many different forms of writing that can be considered a type of poetry, and an illustrated book could be one! According to Children's Literature, Briefly pg. 127 "single-poem picture books are particularly useful for giving children a taste of the more traditional and sometimes more sophisticated poets, as the unity of texts and illustrations grabs and holds attention, as well as making these poems more accessible." It is easy to think that poetry only consists of lines, stanzas, deeper meanings, rhyming, etc. But it is important to learn that poetry can be written in any type of formats. For example, each page in this book has an illustration on the page next to it, which can help the students visualize the text. If children or students are introduced to different forms of poetry then the students can become more engaged.
This reading of a picture book is an adorable introduction to poetry in early education. The intended audience for this reading would be for Kindergarten and 1st grade. I think this reading would fit perfectly in the content area for poetry. For kindergarten, I think this book would fit well in a read aloud-the children/students will be able to enjoy and fully understand the text with the teacher reading the book. As for 1st graders this could work well for shared reading, especially with the pages that only have about 5-6 lines the students can practice reading poetry. Who would have thought that a book about insects would be considered delightful? Not me!
Insect soup is composed of poetry in the form of a single poem-picture book. There are many different forms of writing that can be considered a type of poetry, and an illustrated book could be one! According to Children's Literature, Briefly pg. 127 "single-poem picture books are particularly useful for giving children a taste of the more traditional and sometimes more sophisticated poets, as the unity of texts and illustrations grabs and holds attention, as well as making these poems more accessible." It is easy to think that poetry only consists of lines, stanzas, deeper meanings, rhyming, etc. But it is important to learn that poetry can be written in any type of formats. For example, each page in this book has an illustration on the page next to it, which can help the students visualize the text. If children or students are introduced to different forms of poetry then the students can become more engaged.
This reading of a picture book is an adorable introduction to poetry in early education. The intended audience for this reading would be for Kindergarten and 1st grade. I think this reading would fit perfectly in the content area for poetry. For kindergarten, I think this book would fit well in a read aloud-the children/students will be able to enjoy and fully understand the text with the teacher reading the book. As for 1st graders this could work well for shared reading, especially with the pages that only have about 5-6 lines the students can practice reading poetry. Who would have thought that a book about insects would be considered delightful? Not me!
October 23, 2019
Genre: Poetry - Collection of poetry
Awards: N/A
Audience: 4-8 years
A. The book is written in form poetry - most are written in couplets. Some poems are written in quartet form.
B. The author utilizes simple rhythms to introduce various insects to the young audience and uses silly characteristics of each.
C. If you had to create a new insect, what would it look like? It would be a purple beetle with two heads instead of one.
Awards: N/A
Audience: 4-8 years
A. The book is written in form poetry - most are written in couplets. Some poems are written in quartet form.
B. The author utilizes simple rhythms to introduce various insects to the young audience and uses silly characteristics of each.
C. If you had to create a new insect, what would it look like? It would be a purple beetle with two heads instead of one.
July 8, 2021
Lame. Chosen for Children's Books group's theme of Bugs July 2021 but not worth posting about there. Much too simplistic - kids know there are different kinds of butterflies etc. Poems are just bad little verses, nothing poetic about 'em. Illustrations are silly. 1.5 stars rounded up because I don't quite want to burn it.
October 4, 2022
Personally, not my favorite poetry children's book. I thought the idea was creative, however, I think the majority of people/students would be more grossed out reading about each insect than anything, I know I was. I will definitely have to do more research on better poetry children's books that I can use in my classroom.
April 5, 2018
This book is a poem book with bug incorporated. I like how this book can be crossed taught with a science lesson. In the back it goes through each bug individually. I think this book could also be used as a source for a classroom project.
August 22, 2019
I liked the fun illustrations of this book and that it covers lots of different types of bugs. I think this would be a great book for little ones. One neat thing about this books is that in the very back it goes through all the different bugs with their descriptions!
May 6, 2020
Good picture book to teach about different types of insects and how they can affect you. Pictures are very cool that can lead you to imagine these bugs in their environment and how they could interact with their victims!!
February 14, 2021
The moral of this story is don't try to keep insects in home or it is dangerous.
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February 26, 2015 I believe this book is a great inspiration that young boys and girls will enjoy with laughter and smiles over and over again! The author has decided to stick with word usage that holds to the rhyming word aspect. He rhymes the short phrases very accurately giving the definition of the particular bug he is writing about. The definition of the bug is highlighted with humorous illustrations exaggerating the actions or purpose of the bug. Each rhythmic phrase for the individual bug increases awareness of the bug’s abilities and gives a sense of what the bug would feel like if it happened to be close to you. I enjoy reading poems, such as this, as ‘read- aloud’ for the class. The rhyme of the words ‘spill off the tongue’ with movement. Each verse draws you to read on for more in the poetic sense of a musical sensations. The accuracy of meaning about each bug gives the reader/teacher a great advantage to use it as a science reference to capture the possible uninterested science student. The humorous illustrations are a great example of how accurate knowledge can be artfully presented to young readers in such a very inviting manner.
March 18, 2016
Insect Soup is a book with a collection of bug poems. There are 15 poems about a wide variety of bugs. One very cool thing about this book is that at the very back of the book there is a list of bugs and definitions/descriptions of each bug so that the kids reading the book can get a realistic grasp on what these poems are about.
Every single page is full-bleed and the illustrations are very colorful. The illustrations go along with the text very well. The font is very bold and rather large compared to the text in most books. It is easy to locate as well as read.
The stories are pretty simple and cute. However, there is one story that the illustration could be found not suitable for a children's book. I am talking about the third poem which is about a praying mantis who is about to eat it's mate. Not only could this story be a little hard to explain, but the picture for those kids that can't understand the poem could spark a lot of questions that parents may not be ready for. The picture is rather vulgar as well.
Other than this poem the book is pretty cool and would be fun to use to introduce poetry or to study more in to bugs when studying those in a young grade.
Every single page is full-bleed and the illustrations are very colorful. The illustrations go along with the text very well. The font is very bold and rather large compared to the text in most books. It is easy to locate as well as read.
The stories are pretty simple and cute. However, there is one story that the illustration could be found not suitable for a children's book. I am talking about the third poem which is about a praying mantis who is about to eat it's mate. Not only could this story be a little hard to explain, but the picture for those kids that can't understand the poem could spark a lot of questions that parents may not be ready for. The picture is rather vulgar as well.
Other than this poem the book is pretty cool and would be fun to use to introduce poetry or to study more in to bugs when studying those in a young grade.
October 16, 2013
I loved this book so much, when I first heard that we were going to have to find a poetry book I was a little worried because I am not a big fan of a lot of poetry. But I loved how Polisar did this book. The illustrations in this book make it so easy to follow and they bring the crazy fun insects that we meet in the book to life.
In the book the reader is introduced to a bunch of different insects the dung beetle was my favorite he is wearing a tuxedo in his illustrations. Each poem is specified to each insect and what they do in their everyday life. At the end of the book it has an index with all the insects featured and has facts about them for the reader to find out more information regarding the bugs.
I defiantly think that this book is perfect to introduce students to poetry or even when learning about the insects.
In the book the reader is introduced to a bunch of different insects the dung beetle was my favorite he is wearing a tuxedo in his illustrations. Each poem is specified to each insect and what they do in their everyday life. At the end of the book it has an index with all the insects featured and has facts about them for the reader to find out more information regarding the bugs.
I defiantly think that this book is perfect to introduce students to poetry or even when learning about the insects.
March 17, 2016
This book is a collection of poems all about bugs. There are insects such as praying mantis, butterflies and cockroaches. Many of the poems are short, but filled with information.
Most of the poems give facts about the bug they are talking about. One that stood out to me the most was the praying mantis eating its mate. I wanted to know if this was true so I researched it a bit and found it to be true. Also, in the back of the book the author gives a brief description of each bug. This is a brilliant idea because there are few bugs in the book that many children would not know what they were so this gives them some background.
The illustrations are either double or single page full bleeds. The colors are a little darker, but since they are talking about bugs, I think it fits. The pictures are well done and very creative mirroring what is said in the text.
Most of the poems give facts about the bug they are talking about. One that stood out to me the most was the praying mantis eating its mate. I wanted to know if this was true so I researched it a bit and found it to be true. Also, in the back of the book the author gives a brief description of each bug. This is a brilliant idea because there are few bugs in the book that many children would not know what they were so this gives them some background.
The illustrations are either double or single page full bleeds. The colors are a little darker, but since they are talking about bugs, I think it fits. The pictures are well done and very creative mirroring what is said in the text.
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April 28, 2013What? This book is written in rhyming form. Each page describes an insect in a fun and creative way. The print is large and few to a page. There is a glossary in the back of the book that explain about each insect presented in this book.
So What? This means that children will love the silly illustrations throughout this book.
Now What? I will use this book to encourage poetry. Students will create their own insect and write a poem about it. They can combine different characteristics from real insects to create their own unique insect.
So What? This means that children will love the silly illustrations throughout this book.
Now What? I will use this book to encourage poetry. Students will create their own insect and write a poem about it. They can combine different characteristics from real insects to create their own unique insect.
April 24, 2014
This was a fun book of poems. All of the poems are about a different insect. It gives some accurate information about some of the insects. In the back of the book is a list of all the insects in the book with a little educational information about each one. I would recommend this book to kids between the ages of 4-6. It could be a good way to introduce kids, especially boys, to poetry. It was very good for phonological awareness, and vocabulary.
November 28, 2014
THought this book was adorable. The poems are short and have fun and informative facts about the insects. The pictures that accompany each poem are so colorful and funny. Defiantly a great book for kids sure to bring on some responses of EW! and laughter. This would be a fun book to read out loud if studying insects. Love the brief definitions about the insects located in the back of the book. I would recommend this book it's just so much fun!
October 6, 2011
Ah bugs always a fun and gross topic. Add some poetry and goggly eye cartoon bugs and this is a fun way to get kids who like bugs to enjoy poetry. Both my step son and now my 2 year old daughter have enjoyed this one.
December 9, 2009
Help introducing children to many kinds of bugs in a funny way, disgusting sometimes
February 25, 2014
This is a really cute book for kids. But I needed short stuff for my challenges so this was one. I got this book in elementary school and it is signed by the author.
December 13, 2016
What a fun book to read with young students! They thought this book was very silly! Would be a fun way to introduce them to poetry
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March 28, 2017Picture-Book of Poems: Insect Soup: Bugs Poem
• Book Title/Author and Illustrator:
o Insect Soup: Bugs Poem
o Author: Barry Louis Polisar
o Illustrator: David Clark
• Two Professional Recommendations:
1) Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
No matter where you roam, chances are you'll be sharing quarters with some six-legged friend or foe. Barry Louis Polisar celebrates this buggy world in Insect Soup. Polisar creates the kind of humorous verse that begs to be read aloud again and again. David Clark's colorful portraits are chockfull of the wacky details that so delight kids. For example, the dung beetle carries, not a napkin, but a roll of toilet paper and the flea has teeth bigger than those of the poor dog it bites.
2) Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature)
Each one of the fifteen poems presented in this book is about a different insect and most of the bug-eyed bugs featured are of the gross variety. There are poems about such likeable creatures as the praying mantis and the butterfly, but even they are humorously unsettling. The poem about the millipede is clever, but most of the other creatures, such as the dung beetle, oriental cockroach, lice and chiggers are just naturally downright disgusting. While the poems and illustrations may not reflect enough whimsy to carry the day with sensitive children or adults, kids generally enjoy gross- out humor and some of the poems will undoubtedly tickle that special funny bone they have which often has them laughing at jokes which adults either don't get or don't want to get. The last page contains factual information about all the featured insects.
• Brief Book Summary:
o This picture book offers numerous poems that are all about insects. Every poem in the book is about a different type of insect. The poems use great detail when describing what the bug looks like, what it does, and sometimes what it eats. For example, it discusses ticks, cockroaches, millipedes, etc. In addition to this book being very witty it also is informational and allows children to learn about different insects. On the back page of the book there is a page that has factual information about all the insects mentioned.
• Personal Response to Reviews:
o Both reviewers took the time to mention the humor that is embedded in this book. I agree with both reviewers when they discuss humor. The humor and witty jokes presented throughout this book keep it entertaining and could possibly intrigue children to keep reading. I believe that young children are attracted to humor so I think that this book would be perfect for children that are learning about poems. In Carolyn Mott Ford’s review she mentions how the illustrations become “gross” when it gets to certain bugs such as the dung beetle and lice. To me, this just means that the illustrator was drawing as the descriptive words were being used. It wouldn’t make sense to have a beautiful drawing telling children about the dung beetle because in reality the dung beetle isn’t beautiful. I personally appreciate and admire the way the illustrator made the pictures represent the bug as closely as possible.
• Literary Merit:
o This book is not only full of pictures but also has embedded poems to go along with each illustration, which makes it a picture book of poems. The illustrations in this book really go along with the words of the poem, which is beneficial for children who cannot fully read yet. The illustrations also take up a majority of the page, which shows me that the drawings are just as important as the poems. The author also does a tremendous job at focusing on each bug. Every poem is named after a particular bug, which tells children that is the focus of the poem. The labeling of each bug allows children to understand what insect they are learning/reading about.
• Instructional Application:
o This book could easily be used in lower grade level classes for teaching imagery. For example, the teacher could read one of the poems about a bug and ask the students to draw what they are imagining in their head. This will teach the students how to listen for descriptive words and how to use their imagination/creativity. You could also use this book on a poetry unit lesson. You could read this book to the class and have them use the individual bug poems as examples. The students could then write about a different genre of animals for example, farm animals. Every student could get a different farm animal to write about and then the class could combine all their poems to create a book just like Insect Soup: Bugs Poem.
• Book Title/Author and Illustrator:
o Insect Soup: Bugs Poem
o Author: Barry Louis Polisar
o Illustrator: David Clark
• Two Professional Recommendations:
1) Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
No matter where you roam, chances are you'll be sharing quarters with some six-legged friend or foe. Barry Louis Polisar celebrates this buggy world in Insect Soup. Polisar creates the kind of humorous verse that begs to be read aloud again and again. David Clark's colorful portraits are chockfull of the wacky details that so delight kids. For example, the dung beetle carries, not a napkin, but a roll of toilet paper and the flea has teeth bigger than those of the poor dog it bites.
2) Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature)
Each one of the fifteen poems presented in this book is about a different insect and most of the bug-eyed bugs featured are of the gross variety. There are poems about such likeable creatures as the praying mantis and the butterfly, but even they are humorously unsettling. The poem about the millipede is clever, but most of the other creatures, such as the dung beetle, oriental cockroach, lice and chiggers are just naturally downright disgusting. While the poems and illustrations may not reflect enough whimsy to carry the day with sensitive children or adults, kids generally enjoy gross- out humor and some of the poems will undoubtedly tickle that special funny bone they have which often has them laughing at jokes which adults either don't get or don't want to get. The last page contains factual information about all the featured insects.
• Brief Book Summary:
o This picture book offers numerous poems that are all about insects. Every poem in the book is about a different type of insect. The poems use great detail when describing what the bug looks like, what it does, and sometimes what it eats. For example, it discusses ticks, cockroaches, millipedes, etc. In addition to this book being very witty it also is informational and allows children to learn about different insects. On the back page of the book there is a page that has factual information about all the insects mentioned.
• Personal Response to Reviews:
o Both reviewers took the time to mention the humor that is embedded in this book. I agree with both reviewers when they discuss humor. The humor and witty jokes presented throughout this book keep it entertaining and could possibly intrigue children to keep reading. I believe that young children are attracted to humor so I think that this book would be perfect for children that are learning about poems. In Carolyn Mott Ford’s review she mentions how the illustrations become “gross” when it gets to certain bugs such as the dung beetle and lice. To me, this just means that the illustrator was drawing as the descriptive words were being used. It wouldn’t make sense to have a beautiful drawing telling children about the dung beetle because in reality the dung beetle isn’t beautiful. I personally appreciate and admire the way the illustrator made the pictures represent the bug as closely as possible.
• Literary Merit:
o This book is not only full of pictures but also has embedded poems to go along with each illustration, which makes it a picture book of poems. The illustrations in this book really go along with the words of the poem, which is beneficial for children who cannot fully read yet. The illustrations also take up a majority of the page, which shows me that the drawings are just as important as the poems. The author also does a tremendous job at focusing on each bug. Every poem is named after a particular bug, which tells children that is the focus of the poem. The labeling of each bug allows children to understand what insect they are learning/reading about.
• Instructional Application:
o This book could easily be used in lower grade level classes for teaching imagery. For example, the teacher could read one of the poems about a bug and ask the students to draw what they are imagining in their head. This will teach the students how to listen for descriptive words and how to use their imagination/creativity. You could also use this book on a poetry unit lesson. You could read this book to the class and have them use the individual bug poems as examples. The students could then write about a different genre of animals for example, farm animals. Every student could get a different farm animal to write about and then the class could combine all their poems to create a book just like Insect Soup: Bugs Poem.
April 10, 2017
Insect Soup is a poetry book about bugs. There is a rhyming sequence to each poem about different bugs ranging from the dung beetle to a butterfly to ants. Every poem pertained a true or humorous fact about the bug.
I’m rating this book three stars. The colorful spreads are easy to follow and the poems have a nice rhythm to them while still being short. I did find it funny that the illustrator drew the dung beetle in a fancy tuxedo given what he eats.
I rated this three stars because I didn’t find it engaging. After reading each poem, I felt like there could have been more added. There was nothing keeping my attention and it was the illustrations that kept me going. I'm also not a big fan of poems or bugs so maybe this book just wasn't for me.
I’m rating this book three stars. The colorful spreads are easy to follow and the poems have a nice rhythm to them while still being short. I did find it funny that the illustrator drew the dung beetle in a fancy tuxedo given what he eats.
I rated this three stars because I didn’t find it engaging. After reading each poem, I felt like there could have been more added. There was nothing keeping my attention and it was the illustrations that kept me going. I'm also not a big fan of poems or bugs so maybe this book just wasn't for me.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews