Colleen's Cozy CAFETERIA!

Welcome back to Collen’s Cozy Book Corner! Or should I say Colleen’s Cozy Cafeteria? That’s because the book I am exploring with you today is all about food! But before you start imagining cupcakes and pizza and maple syrup (we have books on all of those), you might want to brace yourself. This book is about eating BUGS! For those of you who already find this idea cringeworthy, I double dare you to submit yourself to Bug Bites by Liz Huyck with an open mind—the information it presents is completely engrossing. Wait, I didn’t say GROSS, did I? Maybe I did.

As it turns out, lots of people, both past and present, have quite an appetite for bugs. Crunchy bugs, squishy bugs, even creepy bugs. Readers of this book will learn that half the people on Earth eat bugs every day, and some insect dishes are as healthy as that veggie burger you just had for lunch! And as tasty. Crickets, ants, and worms are all on the menu somewhere—maybe even at a restaurant near you!

What I like about Bug Bites is that it asks us to look at food through a new lens, one unshuttered by the notions of what we usually consider normal, safe, and yummy. Come to find out, lots of bugs are packed with nutrition, making them very worthy vittles. And when you think about it, isn’t the lobster you love just a big ole insect of the sea? Or consider this: Would a meal of grasshoppers sound more appetizing if we called them flying shrimp?

In addition, the photographs are amazing. Get ready for an eyeful on every page. Crispy kebabs, termites and crickets, colorful worm larvae, and even a giant spider (Watch out, arachnophobes!) are all served up in full-color brilliance!

But even if readers have not a single intention of trying an insect-filled snack, reading Bug Bites is like taking a trip around the world to investigate what’s on other people’s plates and why. The information found in this book is worth sinking your teeth into, so grab a napkin and start eating … errr … reading! 

Bug Bites is one of the many amazing nonfiction titles found in our Explore the World series.