Bugs!

      by David Greenberg

           Teacher's Book of the Month Response

     According to the New York Times, David Greenberg is "our emerging poet of gross"!  His delightful take on the insect world is evident in his grossly fun book Bugs!  After graduating from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, David Greenberg attended Harvard University where he received a graduate degree in publishing procedures.  From his home base, in Portland Oregon, Greenberg has crossed the country delighting his many fans with language arts workshops for teachers, and numerous author appearances in schools.  Greenberg is the author of other books that indulge a child's delight for yuckiness including, Slugs, Snakes and Skunks.

     In bugs! readers get to see Greenberg's wicked sense of humor with engaging poetic form.  Greenberg captures the reader's attention in the opening descriptive vocabulary suggesting "a million maggots in a vase, Lice as thick as mayonnaise."  The vivid descriptions paired with magnificent watercolor drawings, by Lynn Munsinger, capture Greenberg's gross humor leaving the reader in suspense for the next phrase.

     The cleverly chosen vocabulary allows readers to imagine what would really happen if they were to "grab a garden spider, saddle her and ride' er", or see a "scorpion in a string bikini"!  Can you imagine making cheese from the udder of a flee, or a sweater from a caterpillar hair; or even worse, flossing with a millipede?  Do you think that you would like chomping down on bugs that crunch and squirt?

     While the boy in the story is depicted as a true to life human being, many of the bugs take on non-bug like qualities.  The bugs in the story are wonderfully drawn to look like real bugs, while still being able to stick their tongues out at us!  Bugs in the story even train the boy to fetch sticks, sit and roll over, while at one point walking the boy on a leash. Obviously these are things that bugs can not really do.

     While this story may be written for younger students, readers of all ages will enjoy imagining what things we can do with bugs.  However, be sure to listen hard as the author changes perspectives and the bugs come after us!

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