Bugs: Poems About Creeping Things (Science Poetry)

(Book Cover compliments of Titlewave)

Bibliography

Harrison, David. Bugs: Poems about Creeping Things. Ill. by Rob Shepperson. Honesdale, Pa: Wordsong, 2007. ISBN 9781428735798

Review 

Harrison’s small book of 40 short poems takes a playful look at the world of insects. Readers will enjoy leafing leisurely through the humorous verses about creepy things such as the millipede who “giggles/wherever/he/goes./Grass/tickles/all of those/toes”  or the pathetic mosquito afraid of a can of Deet who declares “Let’s be friends!/ Let’s not fight!/ All I ask is/one/small/bite.”  Harrison’s silly approach to bugs will disarm even the most squeamish reader.  With engaging alliterative sounds like the praying mantis who “Sits motionless still”  and fun onomatopoeia found in the two-voice poem about bees (“zzzzzzzzz”), the poems beg to be read aloud. In fact, the book includes seven exceptionally creative poems for two voices such as the worm crossing the street where the second voice makes traffic sounds until ending with a big “SQUISH!” 

Shepperson’s simple black and white line drawings add to the fun by giving the bugs comical expressions and even human-like behaviors such as the swash-buckling gnat brandishing a sword and the gleeful bed bug donned in chef hat, fork, and knife.  Some of the poems about bugs that live in the dark like roaches, fireflies, and no-see-ums are written on solid black pages with white typesetting. The small size of the book makes it perfect for tucking in a backpack for hikes, campouts, and nature walks.

Honors

• "Seeing Stories" exhibition at the Westchester Art Center, 2007

• New York Public Library's annual list "Children's Books, 2007 for Reading and Sharing" 

• NCTE Notable Poetry Books, 2008

Reviewed in Booklist, Kirkus, Horn Book, School Library Journal, Wilson’s Children

Sample poem

spiderwebs

Webs sparkle

on the lawn

like diamond

necklaces

at dawn.

Shiny droplets—

small oases—

beckon spiders

to their places.

Silently they

look and lurk.

Time now for

spider work.

Connections

During an elementary or middle school science unit, have students create a digital project for a "Spider Fest." Show students the National Geographic video “Webs of Intrigue” by Stan Watt (1997).  Assign student teams a specific spider to research using the netTrekker database and books such as:

Bishop, Nic. Spiders. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2007. Print.

Evans, Arthur V. National Wildlife Federation Field Guide: Insects and Spiders of North America. New York: Sterling Pub, 2007. Print.

Murawski, Darlyne. Spiders and Their Webs. Washington, D.C: National Geographic,  2004. Print.

Simon, Seymour. Spiders. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian, 2007. Print.

Have students create a semantic “web” of research information on their spider’s web style, behavior, diet, appearance, etc. Read Harrison’s poem “Spiders” and ask students to include an original poem as well as a found poem about spiders in their project (Connect to ELAR TEKS). Also, have students create an original piece of “web art” (connect with Art standards) that can be depicted in a photograph in their digital project or brought to class on Spider Fest day along with their digital project.  Model Glogster and Prezi digital tools for students to use in building and presenting their digital project on spiders. 

Follow-up activities:

-Create an anthology of spider poems from the original poems created by the students. Invite students to submit original illustrations or photos of their “web art” to illustrate the book. 

--Read more two-voice poems about insects in Joyful Noise by Paul Fleischman. To keep students engaged with poetry throughout the year, offer other choral reading poems each week such as:

Greenfield, Eloise, and Jan S. Gilchrist. The Friendly Four. New York: HarperCollins/Amistad, 2006. Print.

Pappas, Theoni. Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices. San Carlos, CA: Wide World Pub./Tetra, 1991. Print.

Video resource:

Watt, Stan. Webs of Intrigue. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Video, 1997.