Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!

by Ashley Spires

Overview

A hilarious story about one bug’s quest for greatness (with some cool insect facts mixed in!). Meet Burt, a ten-lined june beetle. He’s sure he has a superpower like other insects. No, he can’t carry 50 times his weight, like ants, or spray paralyzing venom, like some termites. What june beetles seem to do best is chase porch lights and lie on their backs flailing their legs in the air ... hmm. Maybe Burt doesn’t have any special skills after all ... But when some other bugs get into perilous trouble that even their superpowers can’t get them out of, Burt realizes there is one helpful thing only he can do ... Why shouldn’t every bug have its day (even the wannabe superhero kind)? Kids will be rooting for this one!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525307614
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	06/01/2021
Series:	Burt the Beetle , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	33 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Ashley Spires grew up in the Pacific Northwest, the supposed stomping grounds of Bigfoot. She is the author and illustrator of a number of books for children, including Small Saul and the Adventures of Binky the Space Cat. She was the recipient of the 2011 Silver Birch Express Award and the 2011 Hackmatack Award for Binky the Space Cat and was shortlisted for a Joe Shuster Comics for Kids Award and an Eisner Award for Binky Under Pressure. Ashley currently lives in British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

Beginning readers are in for a treat with this silly offering, which immediately brings to mind Elise Gravel's Disgusting Critters series.—Booklist

As with Doreen Cronin's “Diary” books and Elise Gravel's “Disgusting Critters” series, most young readers will have no trouble digesting the facts while also enjoying the humor and the story.—School Library Journal

[A] playful but informative gander at the natural world.—Kirkus Reviews

This adorable story of finding one's gifts and accepting them for what makes one special is a winner, one with a indefatigably cheerful and likeable protagonist.—CM Magazine

Funny and informative.—Horn Book

He's plucky (as long as something isn't too scary), chatty, earnest, and worthy of joining Claire Belton's Pusheen, Ben Clanton's Narwhal, and Elise Gravel's Disgusting Critters in the canon of cuteness with genuine appeal for all ages.—Quill & Quire

... Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite!, by B.C. author and illustrator Ashley Spires, debuts on the Children and Young Adult list at No. 2, a real publishing accomplishment on a list dominated by American kidlit franchises.—Toronto Star

From the Publisher

03/01/2021

PreS-Gr 3—Insect facts, humor, and a wise-cracking beetle come together in this graphic novel. Captioned panels introduce a handful of remarkable insects. Burt the Beetle observes and wishes that he had special abilities of his own. After watching a stink bug in action, he comments: "Wow! Super gross. But also super cool." Burt can't do much more than fly or crawl. Illustrations show him losing a race to a snail, crashing when he attempts to fly, and repeatedly winding up on his back and asking, "Little help?" When his more talented friends all end up caught in a spider's web, however, Burt uses his sticky legs to hug the spider, preventing the predator from eating his pals, and then takes the web apart by crashing into it with his heavy body. Humorous cartoon artwork and effective panel layouts contribute greatly to the humorous tone. Burt's subtly varied facial expressions are endearing. Though Spires combines information, such as the strength of ants, with fictional elements, the lighthearted tone makes it all work without being too confusing to young readers. VERDICT An engaging fact and fiction mix with an appealing beetle protagonist. As with Doreen Cronin's "Diary" books and Elise Gravel's "Disgusting Critters" series, most young readers will have no trouble digesting the facts while also enjoying the humor and the story.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville P.L., OR

School Library Journal

2021-04-14
“I’m more of a hugger,” says the eponymous six-legged guide through the world of insect powers and superpowers.

Ants can carry 50 times their weight; hawk moths emit ultrasonic blasts to confuse predatory bats; nasute termites spray paralyzing venom; and stink bugs—well, “Super gross. But also super cool.” But June beetles…can’t do those things. Nor, as Burt the 10-lined June beetle unwillingly proves, can they run fast, fly very well, or even tap dance. They do have sticky legs, for what it’s worth—which is, it turns out, quite a lot when the only way to rescue friends from a spider’s web of “sticky bum strings” is to hug the spider and hold on. “What…is…happening?” gasps the arrested arachnid, all eight legs dangling limply as a beatific Burt clasps it tight—then: “Oh, crumbs.” Following a final group clinch, a closing gallery adds even more insect facts and friends. In the wake of Fairy Science (2019), Spires here flits to a different area of STEM for another playful but informative gander at the natural world that likewise artfully stirs a light load of fact into a mix of cartoon-style illustrations and banter. Along with effortlessly absorbing the former while enjoying the latter, readers may well find it easy to embrace the wonders that the insect world presents to anyone willing to take a closer look. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Proof that courage and loyalty are superpowers too…even for species that can’t emit ultrasonic blasts. (Graphic nonfiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews