Don't Kill the Bugs

This is a lovely book that teaches children mindfulness, compassion, and the power of being a good influence. Follow a group of kids at the park as they learn how to be respectful and loving towards all beings. The author's note at the end shares the importance of this practice from a buddhist perspective, but it's relevant for anyone and everyone.

Thank you to Shambhala Publications and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy for us to review. My family enjoyed this one!

I like how it starts rhyming immediately. I like how it teaches children that sometimes the things they are afraid of, are just as afraid of them. Teaching children to leave bugs alone and not kill them is great! Spreading the message that a superhero saves a life, not destroy it. The artwork was easy for a child to understand.

An adorable little character named Bu and his new friends are in the park together. They encounter a variety of bugs that his friends do not want to dispense kindness to. Bu intervenes and persuades them to take a closer look stating that these little creatures have feelings too so they should be treated with respect and compassion.

The book sparks conversations of how both humans and bugs can live peacefully together and learn from each other. Through different scenarios kids are taught that bugs won't harm you and we can coexist with them happily.

Written in rhyme the story is an important one. The illustrations are very expressive and kid-friendly. It teaches kids how to love and esteem the lives of the bugs that we find in our world. The story has a very positive and important life lesson. We all can be superheroes as we save lives not destroy them.

“Living beings are simply not toys. They don’t want to play with little girls or boys”
Cute book about the importance of bugs and importance of kindness. It showcased a few different bugs/insects and the safest way to “play” with them. The message was touching:
All beings need love.
The illustrations were nicely done.
Great message and my 5 year old loved it!

What a beautiful way to teach kids that they can be a positive influence on friends.

The overall story of being kind to all living things is more than enough reason to stick this in every library.
The illustrations are fun and cute. I loved the multicultural representation.

I cannot wait to put this on our shelves! My daughter is already asking for a set of wings like Bu's,

First of all, I love the diversity in the characters!
As someone who grew up hating bugs, I know how easy it is to fear the crawlers around us (despite knowing that they are often harmless and some are even helpful). I really appreciate this book's environmental message about not harming the bugs in our lives. I think it's such an important one to teach younger kids to care for these animals just as they would for more traditionally "cute" animals.

This sweet children's book reminds readers that you don't need to kill bugs, while acknowledging the fear that some children may have towards these unfamiliar creatures. With nice clean fonts and detailed illustrations, this book is easy to read and will be perfect for young children who are preparing to be able to read. The messages are important and well done, and I definitely think this would be a great book for a preschool to grade 2 classroom library, though I know some of my Grade 3s and 4s could benefit from reading it too! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!