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What to Expect
What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (And Curious Kids)
Congratulations, insect parents-to-be! Youre about to meet your squirmy, wormy bundles of joy. Theyre called larvae. Read this book to find out where to lay your eggs, how many babies to expect, what theyll eat, and how to keep them safe from harm. Whether youre a butterfly or bee, moth or fly, beetle or even a bloodsucking mosquito, youll find answers here to all your parenting questions.
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First published August 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
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June 3, 2013My 4 year-old loves this and has even requested that I read it multiple times in one evening. (This is very unusual for her. Usually when she loves a book, she just has me read it one time per evening, night after night after night after etc. But with Larvae, she wanted immediate re-readings.) The text is probably geared toward a slightly older child, but I just drop a sentence here or there to shorten it to a preschooler's attention span and she adores it. Great humor and very amusing illustrations.
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April 4, 2011Please see below for a couple good reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. Thanks!
From Kirkus, March 1, 2011
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-rev...
A spoof on the popular parenting books, this answers the burning questions of insect parents-to-be and is chock full of fascinating (and sometimes disgusting) facts that are sure to grab human readers' interest.
From where to lay the eggs and how many there will be, to what the larvae will eat, what will eat them and how they will stay safe, this covers it all for butterflies, bees, moths, flies, beetles and mosquitoes. Folding in facts comes easily to Heos, for whom this is her first picture book. She manages to pack in explanations of survival, the food chain, camouflage, disguise and metamorphosis. There's even a little history lesson involving beetles and book glue. Throughout, the tongue-in-cheek humor will keep readers engaged, while the facts and vocabulary will please educators. What Jorisch's brilliantly colored insects lack in realism, they more than make up for in personality. The anthropomorphized bugs add to the tongue-in-cheek parody and also provide some great mnemonics for remembering the information presented. Backmatter includes a glossary, selected bibliography and a list of resources for further reading. Lumping together the many insects whose life cycles include the larval stage makes this more of an overview/introduction rather than a resource, but it is a humorous one certain to entertain and maybe even spark some interest. (Informational picture book. 6-11)
From Booklist, April 1, 2011
http://www.booklistonline.com/Product...
“You must be so excited,” Heos writes—and why wouldn’t you be? You’re about to give birth to larvae! This consistently amusing entry in the Expecting Animal Babies series presents itself as a reassuring guide for new insect parents and is arranged around Q&As. For example: “Q. What will my babies look like? Will they resemble their mother or father? A. Surprise! Neither! They will look like worms.” The font size is needlessly small, but Heos’ humor conquers all, whether discussing a place to lay eggs (“the dog doo of my dreams!”); urging patience (“You did the same thing when you were young”); and dispensing tough love (“Sorry, fly mommies and daddies. People think your maggots are yucky”). The format makes this more for pleasure than for study, though Heos works in plenty of facts (a sphinx moth multiplies its weight 10,000 times in 16 days!). Jorisch’s spindly illustrations feel a bit low-key for such hilarity, but they capably portray the tough but rewarding (?) job of bringing cute little dung-eaters into the world.
— Daniel Kraus
From Kirkus, March 1, 2011
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-rev...
A spoof on the popular parenting books, this answers the burning questions of insect parents-to-be and is chock full of fascinating (and sometimes disgusting) facts that are sure to grab human readers' interest.
From where to lay the eggs and how many there will be, to what the larvae will eat, what will eat them and how they will stay safe, this covers it all for butterflies, bees, moths, flies, beetles and mosquitoes. Folding in facts comes easily to Heos, for whom this is her first picture book. She manages to pack in explanations of survival, the food chain, camouflage, disguise and metamorphosis. There's even a little history lesson involving beetles and book glue. Throughout, the tongue-in-cheek humor will keep readers engaged, while the facts and vocabulary will please educators. What Jorisch's brilliantly colored insects lack in realism, they more than make up for in personality. The anthropomorphized bugs add to the tongue-in-cheek parody and also provide some great mnemonics for remembering the information presented. Backmatter includes a glossary, selected bibliography and a list of resources for further reading. Lumping together the many insects whose life cycles include the larval stage makes this more of an overview/introduction rather than a resource, but it is a humorous one certain to entertain and maybe even spark some interest. (Informational picture book. 6-11)
From Booklist, April 1, 2011
http://www.booklistonline.com/Product...
“You must be so excited,” Heos writes—and why wouldn’t you be? You’re about to give birth to larvae! This consistently amusing entry in the Expecting Animal Babies series presents itself as a reassuring guide for new insect parents and is arranged around Q&As. For example: “Q. What will my babies look like? Will they resemble their mother or father? A. Surprise! Neither! They will look like worms.” The font size is needlessly small, but Heos’ humor conquers all, whether discussing a place to lay eggs (“the dog doo of my dreams!”); urging patience (“You did the same thing when you were young”); and dispensing tough love (“Sorry, fly mommies and daddies. People think your maggots are yucky”). The format makes this more for pleasure than for study, though Heos works in plenty of facts (a sphinx moth multiplies its weight 10,000 times in 16 days!). Jorisch’s spindly illustrations feel a bit low-key for such hilarity, but they capably portray the tough but rewarding (?) job of bringing cute little dung-eaters into the world.
— Daniel Kraus
April 19, 2011
Quick Version
An excellent look at bugs and their larvae, written as if to the expectant bug parents. Fantastic illustrations and text, and it is even fun for the grown-up reading it out loud!
Long Version
This is one of the best non-fiction children’s books that I have read to my children in a very long time! I anticipated that my fourth graders would be bored with the book, as they are pretty bug savvy fellows, and that they would not appreciate being addressed as prospective parents of bug larvae. By the second page the humorous tone and visual impact of this beautiful picture book drew them in right along with their first grade and pre-school sisters.
We all noticed, somewhat surprised, the fact that the text contained information about bugs and their babies which we had not ever come across before in a picture book. There was even a tidbit that was new info for my Bugmeister in Residence.
The illustrations are a couple of my children's (and my) favorite part. Illustrator Stéphane Jorisch employs marvelous, vivid colors and infuses every page with the kind of detail that will keep even non-readers browsing through the book. Each critter seems to possess its own personality thanks to Jorisch’s endless store of expressive animal faces.
Moreover, this book, due to the style of narration, makes it very easy for the reader to have fun with the text. To me, that is the best way to draw children in to the information. They will remember things that made them laugh, even facts about bug larvae, for a very long time.
Star Ranking: Five stars, absolutely!
Target Audience: Ages 4-12 (although this mom found it pretty fun too!). It would make a great gift for a kiddo.
An excellent look at bugs and their larvae, written as if to the expectant bug parents. Fantastic illustrations and text, and it is even fun for the grown-up reading it out loud!
Long Version
This is one of the best non-fiction children’s books that I have read to my children in a very long time! I anticipated that my fourth graders would be bored with the book, as they are pretty bug savvy fellows, and that they would not appreciate being addressed as prospective parents of bug larvae. By the second page the humorous tone and visual impact of this beautiful picture book drew them in right along with their first grade and pre-school sisters.
We all noticed, somewhat surprised, the fact that the text contained information about bugs and their babies which we had not ever come across before in a picture book. There was even a tidbit that was new info for my Bugmeister in Residence.
The illustrations are a couple of my children's (and my) favorite part. Illustrator Stéphane Jorisch employs marvelous, vivid colors and infuses every page with the kind of detail that will keep even non-readers browsing through the book. Each critter seems to possess its own personality thanks to Jorisch’s endless store of expressive animal faces.
Moreover, this book, due to the style of narration, makes it very easy for the reader to have fun with the text. To me, that is the best way to draw children in to the information. They will remember things that made them laugh, even facts about bug larvae, for a very long time.
Star Ranking: Five stars, absolutely!
Target Audience: Ages 4-12 (although this mom found it pretty fun too!). It would make a great gift for a kiddo.
April 6, 2014
This is a wonderfully funny creative non fiction book. Words and illustrations work together (as they should) to create a book that both children and adults will enjoy. I must admit to being surprised that this book made it to publication because its main premise is as a spoof of an adult's book - how do children get the joke? But perhaps it doesn't really matter, because the book is fun in other ways too. I am just glad it WAS published! Writing about such a complicated topic in so entertaining a way makes this book a very worthy contribution to children's non fiction literature!
March 20, 2011
Designing an insect book after the popular What to Expect When You Are Expecting baby-rearing books is a clever premise, but I thought this book missed something in the implementation. Facts are presented so randomly that I don't think children could use this book as a introduction into the insect world. Still, the book is a good supplemental resource for research or those bug-crazy kids you know.
April 6, 2011
K-5. Such a cute approach to non-fiction. Packed with facts, humor and learning fun!
April 5, 2011
Funny book, not so full of facts, but really silly and might draw kids into the topic.
March 2, 2012
Interesting science facts. Colorful artwork, but I didn't particularly like the way he drew the faces on the insects (your aesthetic judgement may vary!).
April 5, 2011
Way too funny!
May 16, 2017
I read this with my entomologist friend and we both learned things! Silly but informative, scientifically accurate but not a bore for little ones. A lot of text per page, so best suited for readers 6+ depending on the child's reading level.
July 31, 2017
Humorous method of conveying information about bugs. Although the humor required illustrations instead of photos, an inset with a photo would have been helpful--maybe a "photo album." Even the glossary was great!
February 27, 2018
This is wonderful... the illustrations are silly and fun.
December 2, 2019
This Q & A format is a delightfully fun way to learn about larvae. Common sense questions with clever answers and colorful drawings will entertain while teaching.
February 15, 2022
Very fun question and answer format nonfiction book about insects and larvae! More for the elementary crowd than preschoolers, since it's a bit wordy.
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May 4, 2022My child loves this book and has read it several times
June 8, 2011
Bridget Heos's What to Expect When You're Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (And Curious Kids) (Expecting Animal Babies) is a delightfully tongue-in-cheek children's book about the life cycle of insects. The full page colorful pictures have child appeal and the information is presented at the right level to interest even younger children. It's rare to see a children's book about insect larvae and Heos has made a new standard for any future books on the topic. It's a definite summer read at our house. My one complaint, preventing me from giving the book five stars, is the multiple presence of bottles in the illustrations. They add nothing to the story and, in my opinion, subtract from the purpose of the book - biological information. I would expect a biology based children's book to be biologically appropriate.
Disclaimer: A copy of teh book was provided by the publisher.
Disclaimer: A copy of teh book was provided by the publisher.
April 22, 2011
A very good guide book about insects, especially its larvae. It's very informative and entertaining at the same time(even for an adult like me)and I definitely love the cute illustrations. Parents will need this book to teach their kids about insects and their life cycle.
I like the way the author described food chain and survival in insects world, very suitable for children.
Anyway, there's a quite shocking fact I have just discovered about butterfly.
Q: What should I do once my children have wings? Will I need to teach them how to fly?
A: I'm afraid there won't be time for that. By the time your young spread their wings, you will have passed away.
I was like WHAT?? Poor butterfly. I thought a butterfly could live for years
I like the way the author described food chain and survival in insects world, very suitable for children.
Anyway, there's a quite shocking fact I have just discovered about butterfly.
Q: What should I do once my children have wings? Will I need to teach them how to fly?
A: I'm afraid there won't be time for that. By the time your young spread their wings, you will have passed away.
I was like WHAT?? Poor butterfly. I thought a butterfly could live for years
May 22, 2014
I found this on the breakfast table this morning and was immediately reminded of reading a book with a very similar title many years ago. All I have to say is that my 8 year old grandson seemed happy that I had read it and asked me some questions to see if I got all the jokes. It is a very funny read that presents some very specific information about insects and their offspring. It is fairly "wordy" for a picture book, but a lot of the words are carefully chosen to feed into the humor of children. Who wouldn't want to know that a certain caterpillar looks like bird poop?
Kids will get new vocabulary, a new appreciation of insect life cycles, and may have their powers of observation put to work the next time they find a grub or caterpillar or cocoon.
Enjoy
Kids will get new vocabulary, a new appreciation of insect life cycles, and may have their powers of observation put to work the next time they find a grub or caterpillar or cocoon.
Enjoy
April 19, 2011
This seems like a cute conciet - a What to Expect When You're Expecting book for bugs that teaches about insect life cycles- until you realize that the intended audience probably has no idea about that particular series of books. The illustrations are cute, I guess, and the writing is age-appropriate. However, I think if the author wanted this to serve as factual non-fiction, available for students doing reasearch, she should have included a few real pictures instead of all illustrations. Cute, but there are several other books on this particular subject that would be better buys for a teacher or librarian.
November 23, 2011
The author of this informational text has cleverly fashioned her book into an information guide for new insect parents. The writing is child-friendly, focusing on facts that every young person will enjoy learning, and written in a casual way that invites understanding.
My book displays a science call number but somehow this book was reclassified into fiction picture books.
“Q. What will my babies look like? Will they resemble their mother or father?
A. Surprise! Neither! They will look like worms. Whether your babies are wriggly maggots, fat grubs, or fuzzy caterpillars, your larvae will look different from you.”
My book displays a science call number but somehow this book was reclassified into fiction picture books.
“Q. What will my babies look like? Will they resemble their mother or father?
A. Surprise! Neither! They will look like worms. Whether your babies are wriggly maggots, fat grubs, or fuzzy caterpillars, your larvae will look different from you.”
April 8, 2012
I love the premise of the book- what to expect if you are an insect parent. The book is written in the question and answer format. It's tells the expectant bug parent where to lay its eggs, what it's offspring will look like and eat, as well as how to keep them safe. Also has a glossary and websites. Not your traditional non-fiction book-which I like! This will make a great read aloud for my second grade.
July 22, 2015
Love the creative approach to this comprehensive nonfiction picture book about insects. Lots of information, but the Q & A, humor, fun illustrations, and voice makes it a palatable read. This is a book for the 7-9 year old reader. Glossary, selected bibliography, further reading and websites are included.
October 23, 2012
Cute idea. I think there's a whole series of these now.
May 21, 2014
The go-to guide for all expectant parents of larvae. A very important book.
August 25, 2014
This book is super informative and funny. I wouldn't recommend it for super youngsters as they won't be able to understand the humor, but for 2-5 it is a great read aloud or just read to themselves.
January 21, 2016
Hilarious! I loved it! Funny and informative.
May 18, 2012
Fun, informative read about insects and how their babies live.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews