Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs!: An Exuberant Picture Book About Playground Courage and Eating Bugs for Kids

by Megan McDonald, Jane Manning (Illustrator)

BEETLE MCGRADY EATS BUGS Megan McDonald The debut of an exuberant new picture book character from the best–selling author of the Judy Moody series. Beetle McGrady dreams of being an explorer like Marco Polo or a pioneer like Amelia Earhart. She dreams of being brave and daring, and she will begin by ... eating an ant. It's dare double dare on the school playground, but will Beetle be able to live up to her dreams? Face to face –– or Beetle to ant –– will she be able to bite and chew and ... swallow? Gulp! If she does, what will the ant taste like? If she does, will the ant be crunchy or squishy? And if she can't, does that mean she's a chicken?

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Food, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."

For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."


Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."


More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.


Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

So yes, Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is both textually and illustratively engaging and exuberant, and with the combination of author Megan McDonald’s text and illustrator Jane Manning’s accompanying artwork creating a delightfully fun slice of (probably elementary) school life, but also and importantly showing to the intended audience, demonstrating to the so-called picture book crowd the important message that one should definitely and certainly be increasingly adventurous with regard to food and both willing and able to try different types of foods (and that yes, this also should include so-called bugs, this should pertain to foods made with, incorporating insects, arachnids, worms, diverse types of fungi etc., and with the scenes in Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! where Chef Suzanne brings out all kinds of bug laced recipes for Beetle McGrady and her classmates to try having me vacillating between being rather grossed and creeped out but also being in fact curious enough to actually want to experience eating insects, ants and the like for myself at some point in the future).

But while for me personally, Megan McDonald’s presented narrative for Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! is in fact a bit too heavily and primarily focussed on consuming “bugs” (and with this textually feeling just a trifle repetitive and as such also mildly tedious), and albeit that according to my personal aesthetics, Jane Manning’s colourful illustrations are entertaining and bright but also rather a bit too stylised and too cartoony for my own visual tastes, I still do think that for children from about the age of four to seven or eight (and in particular so for young boys), Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! will more than likely be quite massively entertaining and appealing and in particular with regard to the potential “yuck” factor of having an entire picture book story on a classroom full of children not only discussing eating insects and other potential creepy crawlies, but actually and actively doing so (and that yes, hopefully the message of trying out different types of foods no matter how strange and uncanny to and for our European inspired palates this might be will also hit home, so that Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs! will not only be yuck inducing but also make children more willing to be adventurous eaters and to try even foods like termites, mealworms, grasshoppers, ants and the like).

[Melki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suppose kids will love the gross-out factor to this book, but I found the focus on a singular issue to be rather boring. The author's illustrations, however, are fun and colorful.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because Amy and Anneliese Perry enjoyed this in Coop: A Family, a Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg.
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I'm glad my library system has a copy of this! It's funny, and captures Beetle's mixed feelings about "bravery" beautifully. I felt her squeamishness, and her triumph.

And it's an important book. Too many children are like some of Beetle's classmates and won't even try such 'weird' food as falafel, and that's a pity. One of the consequences of climate change is going to be a shift in what foods are available... better get ready for it, kiddos!

Endpapers talk about the actual science behind eating bugs; I only wish there were more notes & references. I'm sure googling will reveal plenty of information, though.

[Mary Mello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beetle McGrady is a second grader in Mr. Rigley's class. She aspires to be a pioneer and a true explorer. During fun food week Beetle convinces herself that to be a true explorer and follow in her heroes footsteps she would have to eat an ant. This story is about Beetle's adventure and whether or not she will become that true explorer.

Within some of the illustrations we see Beetle's imagination. These images are separated from the story line images by being shades of blue and purple. By doing this illustrator Jane Manning emerses the reader completely into Beetle's story as we start to see things not just as they are, but as she sees them. This addition sparks the imaginations of the children reading the book as they often will see the world perhaps not as Beetle does, but in a different way than adults would. This makes the book and Beetle very relatable for children and allows them to fully engage into the book, as well as, adding context. Along with this author Megan McDonald uses words like "crunch" and "glug" utilizing the skill onomatopoeia. By doing this McDonald makes the story more fun and interactive for the children reading it and continues to add to the realability and engaging aspects of the book. This book is extremely child oriented with the use of imagination and onomatopoeia as a childrens' book should be.

The creativity behind this book is incredible and there are very few books I have read that make me feel like a child reading them. There is something about this book that is so fun and engaging I can't see a reason to change it.

[Cameron Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beetle McCrady is defying all odds of how a "girl" should act. She starts the book off with 10 tips on how to eat bugs. I loved the illustration on each page as you can imagine what each student is feeling. The use of onomatopeias really helps you get dramatic with the story. After Beetle is double dared to eat an ant she goes on this journey that leaves her with a best friend. I would recommend this book for all kids as it is funny and interesting to the reader.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

So fun. Aptly named Beetle wants to be adventurous, so boasts that she can eat an ant. But, when the double dare on the playground comes to be paid, she can't do it. That is, until a chef specializing in insect cuisine is the class's special guest. An interesting topic normalizing the consumption of insect protein. It also highlights how about 10 different bugs taste and can be prepared to show off their flavors (did you know stinkbugs taste like Granny Smith apples?)

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beetle McGrady dreamed of being brave and daring. During food week at school Beetle gets a dare double dare to eat an ant. Will Beetle McGrady eat the ant, and prove her bravery, or will she be remembered as a chicken? Each day of food week proves a challenge, but Friday brings the biggest challenge of Beetle McGrady's life.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recording sent- Ry listened with nanna and poppa today

[Roselyn Mathis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story, beautifully illustrated.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super cute and interesting. My favorite part though is when Roger calls falafel “awful awful” 🤣.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beetle McGrady is very brave. She'll try anything. Fun With Food week at school gives Beetle a great opportunity to try new things...like ants! She tries and tries but she can't swallow. Beetle becomes quite dejected. What kind of explorer is she if she can't eat one measly ant? As Fun With Food week continues Beetle has the opportunity to try falafel and Japanese fish eggs. But she still is upset that she hadn't eaten that ant.

Finally it's Friday and a Chef Suzanne comes to cook some interesting dishes for the kids of Beetle's class. What are these dished delicacies? All the bugs you can eat! Beetle tries everything: Crickets, caterpillars and mealworm cookies! Ants? No problem!

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beetle McGrady and her classmates are making a food pyramid for fun with food week at school and Beetle decides to put ants at the top of the food pyramid. When she does that her classmates say that she should eat a real ant, so she tries but fails to eat it and becomes sad that she is not like real explorers. However she gets a second chance when a chef comes in and her specialty is bug dishes to eat.

A little long for younger kids but overall a cute story that some kids will enjoy. Some may find eating bugs to be gross but if they are looking for something new to read this may be it.

[Universitybabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids loved it--seeing a girl do something "disgusting" seems to be way too much fun. It does streatch a little above their heads they only understand when she eats something. I don't like how long the book is. Too many words to keep Taren's attention.

[Tasha Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just one of those fun children's books that make you think of things and ask your kids questions never thought of before, like would you eat bugs if someone served them up all fancy in a pasta or cookie?

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beetle McGrady wants to be a pioneer and blazes heretofore unknown trails. Unfortunately, most everything's been done. But when she is dared to eat a bug at her school, a whole new world of "trail-blazing" opens up for the little girl.

Funny illustrations.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny, gross bug eating spectacular! Would be a huge hit at Storytime.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

James and I LOVE this book. I want my son to have a wealth of experiences and to never be afraid to try new things. What a fun way to discuss adventure and bravery with your child.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids will be drawn to this outlandish tale of a girl who needs to prove herself a pioneer by eating bugs! Recommended for ages 3-8.

[Audrey Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

PICTURE BOOK
The story was cute, but it didn't really make sense to me. Did the chef really give them bugs to eat? The story confused me.

[Payton · Rating 2 out of 5]

"that was disgusting" Payton's words

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for the younger crowd looking for the ick factor found in books like How to Eat Fried Worms.

[Jennessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give this book 100 stars. It is marvelous.

[Heather Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of our new favorite children's books!