Monday, August 31

Bug in a Vacuum

Bug in a Vacuum
Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-1770496453
Publisher: Tundra
Date of publication: August 25, 2015
Age: Grades K - 4

Themes: the 5 stages of grief, a fly, cleaning, change

A fly buzzes through a house, minding its own business, when its entire life changes with the switch of a button. Sucked into the void of a vacuum bag, this one little bug moves through denial, bargaining, anger, despair and eventually acceptance—the five stages of grief—as it comes to terms with its fate. Will there be a light at the end of the tunnel?

This book has such a fine subtle humor—the illustrations, especially. Each page of art has something hilarious adding to the storyline (keep an eye on the dog, especially). The plot, of course, is clever and original, dealing with the five stages of grief. I mean, it's really an all-around great book. But, I would say it's definitely for older kids. Besides the subtleties and more mature plot, the book itself is long. It's a chunk of a picture book. I wouldn't read it in storytime for my preschoolers, but I'd still recommend it.

As for readalikes? Watt has a bunch of awesome books that deal with different anxieties or life changes (eg Scaredy Squirrel), and this fits right in to her collection.

Find it at your library or on Amazon

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