Review - The Bug Girl: A True Story

The Bug Girl: A True Story
by Sophia Spencer & Margaret McNamara
illustrated by Kerascoët
Date: 2020
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 44
Format: e-book
Source: library

Real-life 7-year-old Sophia Spencer was bullied for loving bugs until hundreds of women scientists rallied around her. Now Sophie tells her story in this picture book that celebrates women in science, bugs of all kinds, and the importance of staying true to yourself.

Sophia Spencer has loved bugs ever since a butterfly landed on her shoulder--and wouldn't leave--at a butterfly conservancy when she was only two-and-a-half years old. In preschool and kindergarten, Sophia was thrilled to share what she knew about grasshoppers (her very favorite insects), as well as ants and fireflies... but by first grade, not everyone shared her enthusiasm. Some students bullied her, and Sophia stopped talking about bugs altogether. When Sophia's mother wrote to an entomological society looking for a bug scientist to be a pen pal for her daughter, she and Sophie were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response--letters, photos, and videos came flooding in. Using the hashtag BugsR4Girls, scientists tweeted hundreds of times to tell Sophia to keep up her interest in bugs--and it worked! Sophia has since appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and NPR, and she continues to share her love of bugs with others.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

The Bug Girl is a wonderful (true) story of a young girl who follows her passion, even if the other kids her age don't understand it.

Sophia loved bugs from an early age. And the other kids thought that was cool... up until first grade. And then she was bullied for her interest. (Kids get mean earlier and earlier, it seems.) Hating to see her daughter so sad, Sophia's mom reached out to entomologists for support. And support they got! Sophia was inspired to allow herself to keep loving bugs and exploring the world of insects.

The story is lovely and the illustrations, done by husband-and-wife team Kerascoët, complement the text perfectly. There's also an informative (but easy-to-read) section at the back where Sophia shares facts about some of her favourite bugs.

This would be an excellent title for other budding entomologists, as well as for readers looking for books about bullying with an ultimately uplifting message.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5

Review - I Walk with Vanessa

I Walk with Vanessa
by Kerascoët
Date: 2018
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

This simple yet powerful picture book--from a New York Times bestselling husband-and-wife team--tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. Inspired by real events, I Walk with Vanessa explores the feelings of helplessness and anger that arise in the wake of seeing a classmate treated badly, and shows how a single act of kindness can lead to an entire community joining in to help. With themes of acceptance, kindness, and strength in numbers, this timeless and profound feel-good story will resonate with readers young and old.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I didn't realize when I picked up this book that it's a wordless picture book. But, sometimes, those can be really powerful.

I Walk with Vanessa tells a story about a girl who is new to town. Nobody really seems to welcome her, and even worse, a bully picks on her after school. Another little girl notices this, and it troubles her. So, the next day, she starts a chain of kindness that ends up impacting many.

The illustrations are quite cute, and an interesting thing is done with the colour palette as the wave of kindness spreads. There's a nice little discussion at the end, more for parents who might be reading the book with their kids, but still worthwhile. I especially liked the bit that differentiated between tattling and telling, for kids who might be worried about getting accused of the former while trying to help: "Tattling is getting someone in trouble, and telling is getting someone out of trouble.

Overall, this is a really strong picture book, even though it doesn't have any text. The pictures are more than enough to tell the story and convey the emotions of the characters. I would definitely recommend this one.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: n/a
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 4 out of 5

Review - Malala's Magic Pencil

Malala's Magic Pencil
by Malala Yousafzai
illustrated by Kerascoët
Date: 2017
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Nobel Peace Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Malala Yousafzai's first picture book, inspired by her own childhood.

Malala's first picture book will inspire young readers everywhere to find the magic all around them.

As a child in Pakistan, Malala made a wish for a magic pencil. She would use it to make everyone happy, to erase the smell of garbage from her city, to sleep an extra hour in the morning. But as she grew older, Malala saw that there were more important things to wish for. She saw a world that needed fixing. And even if she never found a magic pencil, Malala realized that she could still work hard every day to make her wishes come true.

This beautifully illustrated volume tells Malala's story for a younger audience and shows them the worldview that allowed Malala to hold on to hope even in the most difficult of times.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This is a lovely little book. Between the uplifting, hopeful message and the delightful illustrations, it's an enjoyable and educating read.

I haven't read Malala's full-length memoir, but this picture book is a nice introduction to her story. It doesn't get too scary or graphic for kids (for example, what happened to her at the hands of the Taliban isn't explicitly stated), but it's still able to get the main points across, showing children how much of a struggle getting a basic education is in certain parts of the world.

I highly recommend this one for those looking to introduce their kids to the inspiring person that is Malala Yousafzai. (Although, as an adult, I enjoyed it, too.)

Premise: 5/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.5 out of 5