Bug Boys: Adventures and Daydreams

March 15, 2022
Two beetle BFFs return for more adventures in nature. In this third graphic installment, best beetle buds Rhino-B and Stag-B explore the wondrous world around them in nine bite-sized vignettes. In "Love Letter," the duo finds an intriguing canister embedded amid tree roots and, inside, a richly imagined missive from its mysterious author, Scorpio. They realize that the letter may have never found its reader but in a poignant moment, relish the marvel of a fanciful daydream. In "The Cooking Competition," the pair face off, each determined to win the Bug Village cooking contest. When their desire to win eclipses the meaning of the event, the bugs learn that collaboration can outweigh competition. "The Mountain Journey" takes readers along on an arduous hike with the beetles as an argument brews. Once the friends discuss their feelings, they can quietly contemplate and enjoy the natural beauty around them. Knetzger's simply wrought tales use straightforward naming conventions (most of the insects are named for their species) alongside an uncomplicated full-color palette of muted, dreamy tones, emphasizing the evocative nature and thematic focus of each piece. These introspective tales (which can be read nonlinearly) are slowly and deliberately paced, not demanding that readers rush; those who appreciate more pensive, meditative tales will find much to savor here. A winsome fantasy bubbling with gentle whimsy. (bonus comic, extra art, cover sketches) (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

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Starred review from May 1, 2022

Gr 2-6-Rhino-B and Stag-B visit fantastical venues both real and imagined in the most expansive volume yet of the "Bug Boys" series. The central bugs remain as curious, friendly, and in touch with their feelings and senses as ever, while their world is enormous and rich with detail above and below ground. They trade versions of a similar hero story with a dragonfly friend, with details shifting to fit the personality of each storyteller. Three separate aquatic communities are visited in a chapter stuffed with unique environmental features that startle the bug boys (and readers, no doubt) with their beauty and novelty. Another journey, this time underground, leads to the bug boys feeling grateful that they still have each other to lend perspective and company. "Our world got a lot bigger today. And it's a nice feeling," they say. Readers will agree. VERDICT The variety of warm personalities, as well as baked goods, create welcome bug-size tours of a world worth exploring repeatedly for new and returning readers.

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2022
Grades 2-5 The third installment in the Bug Boys series holds true to everything that made its prequels great--and they are great--with another series of episodic adventures that see best buds Rhino-B and Stag-B venturing out from their home in Bug Village to explore and interrogate the external world beyond, as well as their internal selves. This time around, they have a sleepover, visit the Coastal Kingdom, discover an ancient love letter, compete in a cooking contest, learn about cicada life, go on an epic hike, and make comics. After baking bread inspires them to learn about the mind-blowing world of microbes, they are moved to consider bigger matters: "It feels like every question we ask is, like, two steps away from being about the very nature of life." And that is the essence of what makes these books special. There is adventure, exploration, conflict, and unwavering friendship, but every tale showcases the importance of curiosity and the power of keeping an open heart and an open mind. These boys are still the best.

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