Big Bug
Henry Cole
A bug may look huge to itself and other bugs. A leaf may seem big among other leaves. When you put the two objects next to each other, one will look bigger in comparison to the other. Cole has taken this idea of scale and turned it into a fascinating story that will delight kids and enthrall parents and teachers looking to teach the concept to young children. The lush paintings capture the beauty of the natural world while also showing simple comparisons. The spare text is perfectly used throughout, highlighting the unique qualities of the things that surround us. Cole starts off with a single ladybug and escalates to the vast bright blue sky before bringing the reader back down to the smaller level of a single ladybug crawling on a napping dog's nose. The concept of scale is brilliantly depicted on the title page (where tiny ladybugs crawl over the title of the book in large font) as well as the endpapers. The different font sizes further highlight the use of scale in his breathtaking illustrations. Big Bug is a unique reading experience with broad appeal. STARRED REVIEW (School Library Journal)
Date2014
ISBN1442498978
ISBN-13978-1442498976
Reviews
STARRED REVIEW (Publishers Weekly) Readers get a hint of the ingenuity in Cole's (Unspoken) nifty study of comparative sizes from its arresting cover, which features a ladybug at very close range, Inside, realistic full-bleed paintings provide a playful look at scale and perspective, using a ladybug as an initial point of reference. The tiny insect ("Little bug") rests on a leaf ("Big leaf"), which becomes a "Little leaf" when seen alongside a "Big flower" on the next spread. Cole continues to pan out until eventually the bucolic farm where the action takes places appears small against the "Big... BIG sky." He then reverses direction, zooming in to view some of the same items in different locations. A final endearing scenario brings readers indoors, where a dog, seen on the prior page through a window with its master, naps contentedly, unaware that a certain little ladybug rests on the tip of its nose. It's an accessible entry point to the concept of relative sizes, with a rural setting whose endless expanses of sky and grass are just as inviting as the flora and fauna seen up close. Ages 4-7. (Apr.) —Publisher's Weekly
