It was a fascinating read. This book was colorful, informative and not at all monotonous. I think the insertion of folklore, mythological tales and stories is a great idea as it will help to keep the children entertained while providing them with educational material. Even as an adult, I got to learn a lot of things, especially about creatures that I encounter in my day-to-day life like moths, fireflies and dragonflies. Overall, a very informative and interesting read.

My library will be purchasing this and encouraging all lover of science and bugs to read it. It was very informative with beautiful illustrations. Wonderful!

Do you know the difference between moths and butterflies? That cockroaches can hiss? Or why the ants can never win? The Secret Life of Bugs is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, packed full of facts about bugs that will delight and inspire.

The different chapters of the book act as short stories, with detailed illustrations for children to explore. One of my favourites was The Song of the Cicada. There were so many cute and creative touches, like Luna the ladybug’s optometrist report. The images are bright and colourful, and the characters of the bugs jump off the page.

This book is a great way to learn about different bugs, in their backyard, and around the world. It also includes important messages about the importance of bugs, and protecting our environment. These messages are really accessible for children, and include practical steps and activities they can do at home to protect bugs. I look forward to buying a physical copy of the book when it is published.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Secret Life of Bugs by Moira Butterfield

Great picture book to introduce bugs to young readers, in a fun and educational perspective.

The whole book narrated by Luna the ladybug. She introduced us how she was born (hatched out), what she ate to grow (metamorphosis) and even her relatives (various types of ladybug). Also, the book introduced other bugs by category, like swimming bugs, giant and tiny bugs and nighttime bugs.

Along with lovely illustration, young readers can understand the bug world easily. Last but not least, I love the idea saying bugs are important to us and vital to our environment too.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books, Happy Yak and the author for my copy.

Pub date: March 4, 2024

There is so much information in this book. I learned a ton and think kids will too. It is perfect for a middle school science class.

4 stars

This is a great book for a bug lover! This book has everything! It has lots of facts, stories, categories or bugs and even songs. There are great illustrations and first person narrations from some of the bugs themselves. This book was well written and packed with great information.

The Secret Life of Bugs is a supercute and informative book about bugs. We follow Luna the ladybug while she tells us all about different bugs. It had a lot of facts, many of which I didn't even know myself. I liked how colorful the book was and that there were so many illustrations! I would highly recommend this to children interested in insects!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such a cute read with eye catching illustrations. I would happily purchase this for any young reader to encourage curiosity of the world around him/her.

I especially enjoyed the folk tales from various countries.

Very cute book for bug - loving kids! I have three of those bug loving kids myself. Lots of information and great illustrations.

Luna the Ladybird takes us on a brilliant bug safari!

This lovely non-fiction picture book is laid out like a journey through Luna's world with her acting as our personal guide. She teaches us about her own species, then moves onto others, giving plenty of detail but in a way that engages young readers. Every fact is in small segments and every few pages, the book is broken up by a fictional folktale, such as how butterflies got their colours and the story of The Puzzle of the Honey Tree.

A section on the most amazing bugs reads like the Bug Olympics or DC Superbugs, such amazing superpowers and a page on how the bugs fightback against their predators is a real hit with our little ones.

Lovely visuals and just the right mix of education and fun makes this a great, engaging book to start your little ones learning journey about the amazing secret life of our bug buddies.

We read this book with children age 4-8.

Thank you to NetGalley and Happy Yak for sending this eBook for review consideration. All opinions are our own.

This book was both beautiful and educational, a great combination! I loved how classic stories about bugs were included, as well as scientific facts. It’s nice when bugs are presented in a factual, non-threatening way. It’s good to know how to respect the insects that share our environment. Hopefully this book will inspire children to learn even more about bugs!
Thank you for the eARC!

An absolutely beautiful book all about insects. Great for all ages, lots of facts and representation from all over the world with the bug inspired stories (though, bug is the incorrect term for most insects as this book taught me)

A super duper adorable book teaches children all sorts of things about bugs, and how/why they are the way they are. This book is very informative while also being easy to read alongside the amazing illustrations. A must for any bug lover, young or old!

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a copy of The Secret Life of Bugs in exchange of an honest review.

I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover and it did not disappoint! The illustrations keep you entertained as you follow Luna the Ladybird as she describes and explains a lot of different bugs. Extremely engaging as a reader and highly recommend!

Review to come late February to blog/goodreads/other places.

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.

I am normally not that big on bugs, I don't mind them that much, but there are types that just give me the chills. Still, when I saw this adorable and pretty book on Netgalley I couldn't resist!

I love that instead of just giving us information about bugs (and tons about ladybugs) we follow a small ladybug named Luna! She will guide us through the wonderous world of bugs. From the strongest to the biggest (and tiniest) to various ways that bugs make homes (and what they call home, in which I learned that apparently 4 ladybugs were send to space) to the importance of trees to swimming and flying bugs. There was a treasure trove of information presented in a fun and colourful way and I learned a few new facts while reading, which always makes me smile. 

While I did like the folklore at times, I am still not entirely sure if I found it fitting. They were a fun addition and I love seeing the illustrations bring the story to life, but I just truly came for the non-fiction parts. 

The illustrations though, this is where this book really shines. The art by Vivian Mineker is just so cute, fun, adorable, colourful, and I loved it. I am not a big fan of creepy crawlies as I would call some bugs, but in this one they weren't too bad! 

All in all, I am happy that I found this book and that I had the chance to read it. I would recommend it to all wanting to learn more about bugs in a cute/fun way.

This book is beautifully illustrated and informative for little ones, I showed my 3.5 year old son on my phone and he is so excited to read a physical copy!

Beautifully illustrated and factual stories about bugs! Colourful enough to keep my toddler interested and interesting enough to keep me engaged and even learnt a few things :)

Beautiful illustration, in-depth information, the cute little buddy, Lana…
This book is something I, as a mom, want to spend time with my kids, learning about bugs.
I learned something new about bugs reading this.
From tiny tots to grownups, there will be something new they can learn!

This is such an informative and beautifully illustrated book on bugs. I have a phobia of all creepy-crawlies. But somehow the drawings in this book make them look adorable even to me. Great book!

Such a wonderful, educational, and informative book! The illustrations are very eye-catching and colorful. There is so much information in this book; children aren’t the only ones who can learn from it! I can see children returning to this book time and again and finding something they didn’t notice before.
I appreciated how easy the information was to understand, and I was thankful that certain words that were unfamiliar had the proper pronunciation provided. The short insect/bug stories woven throughout the book were a nice touch!