Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Wicked Bugs - Young Reader's Addition - Review

Idgie Says:
This is a GREAT book to grab young readers who love to gross others out.  It will keep them invested in the book and also educate them a bit.  What more could you ask!

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Wicked Bugs Young Readers Edition
The Meanest, Deadliest, Grossest Bugs on Earth
Algonquin Books • 2017

Do you know about zombie bugs? They not only eat other bugs, but also inhabit and control their bodies. Scorpions glow in ultraviolet light. Flea vomit is the true culprit in a plague epidemic. And lots and lots of bugs dine on corpses. 

There’s even a wasp that delivers a perfectly-placed sting in a cockroach’s brain and then leads the roach around by its antennae — like a dog on a leash. And if you want to know how much it hurts to get stung by a bullet ant (hint: it really, really hurts), you can consult the Schmidt Sting Pain Index. It ranks the pain produced by ants and other stinging creatures. How does it work? Dr. Schmidt, the scientist who created it, voluntarily subjected himself to the stings of 150 species.

Organized into thematic categories (Everyday Dangers, Unwelcome Invaders, Destructive Pests, and Terrible Threats) and featuring full-color illustrations by Briony Morrow-Cribbs, Wicked Bugs is an educational and creepy-cool guide to the worst of the worst of insects, arachnids, and other arthropods. This is the young readers adaptation of Amy Stewart’s bestselling book for adult readers.

 

More bugs to know—and watch out for:
Asian Giant Hornet The size of a small bird with a sting that feels like a hot nail
Giant Centipede Up to twelve inches long, it hangs from cave ceilings to catch bats in midair
Bombardier Beetle Fires a hot, stinging liquid at a speed up to 1000 blasts per second
Puss Caterpillar It may look like a tiny Persian cat, but its sting hits like a hammer
Chigoe Flea Check under your toenails—where they may burrow to lay their eggs
Screw-worm Fly Scientific name: “eater of man” 
Adapted from Amy Stewart’s original New York Times bestseller, the young readers edition of Wicked Bugs is a creepy-cool guide to the worst of the worst insects, arachnids, and arthropods.