The Fly by Elise Gravel

The Worm by Elise Gravel

The first and second books in the new Disgusting Critters series of nonfiction picture books, these books take a humorous look at the biology of a specific creature.  The first book deals with flies, specifically the common house fly.  Inside are all sorts of interesting facts like the fly being covered in hair and information on eggs and maggots.  More disgusting aspects are played up, which should appeal to young children, like the diet of flies and how germ filled they are and why.  The second book is about worms and focuses on their unique anatomy, such as having no eyes and no limbs.  There is also a focus on habitat, diet and reproduction.  Throughout both books, humorous asides are offered, making this one of the most playful informational book series around.

Gravel combines both humor and facts in her book.  She keeps the two clearly defined, with the animals themselves making comments that add the funniness to the books.  The facts are presented in large fonts and the design of the book makes the facts clear and well defined.  These books are designed for maximum child appeal and will work well in curriculums or just picked up by a browser in the library.

The art in the books, as you can see by the covers, is cartoonish and cute.  The entire effect is a merry romp alongside these intriguing animals.  I know some people believe that books about science for children should be purely factual, but Gravel’s titles show how well humor and touch of anthropomorphism can work with informational titles.

Information served with plenty of laughs, these science titles will be appreciated by children and teachers.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from library copies.