HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: Noisy Bug Sing-Along
Author and Illustrator: John Himmelman
Publisher: Dawn Publications, 2013
ISBN-13: 978-1-58469-191-4 (Hardback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58469-192-1 (Paperback)
Related websites: http://www.johnhimmelman.com (author), http://www.dawnpub.com (publisher)
Language level: 1
(1=nothing objectionable; 2=common euphemisms and/or childish slang terms; 3=some cursing or profanity; 4=a lot of cursing or profanity; 5=obscenity and/or vulgarity)
Reading level: Ages 3-8
Rating: ***** 5 stars (EXCELLENT)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
Disclosure: Any books donated for review purposes are in turn donated to a library. No other compensation has been received for the reviews posted on Home School Book Review.
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Himmelman, John. Noisy Bug Sing-Along (published in 2013 by Dawn Publications, 12402 Bitney Springs Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959). Dogs bark and cows moo, but what kinds of sounds do insects make? Well, field crickets sing from beneath leaves, “Chirp Chirp Chirp.” Most of us have probably heard them at one time or another. Author and illustrator John Himmelman describes the sorts of sounds made by twelve different insects, including three types of crickets, click beetles, cicadas, bumblebees, mosquitoes, true and bush katydids, and grasshoppers. I didn’t know that tiger moths can make very high squeaks to warn bats away. Did you? We can’t hear them, but the bats can. And do butterflies make any sound?
When Himmelman was eight, he started his first “bug club” in a friend’s garage and has been playing with insects ever since. He is the author and illustrator of over 75 books for children. Noisy Bug Sing-Along encourages children to know that there’s a lot going on out there and to open their ears to the wonderful concert happening every warm day and night in our nearby yards, fields, and woods. The sing-song text tells kids who is making what sound and why, while the illustrations give scientifically accurate and up-close depictions of the bugs. There is additional information in the back of the book about the different bugs, their sound waves, and how to listen for them. Educational resources for teachers and parents are available at the publisher’s website.
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