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Bothered by Bugs

Name: Bothered by Bugs
ISBN: 9781529028072

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UKLA Book Awards 2026 longlist

These links show the original reading lists. Inclusion is not a guarantee of suitability for your child.

Emily Gravett - Author

Two HootsISBN 9781529028072ENGOther32 pages

A useful bridge from enjoying animal stories to thinking about how an ecosystem works.

More about this book

Pete the Badger is enjoying fruit recipes when a fly and then many bugs disturb the woodland. Pete and the other animals try to remove every insect, only to discover that the forest depends on them: waste is no longer cleared and fruit becomes scarce. They release the bugs and restore the woodland balance. The humorous rhyming picture book explores insects' ecological role, consequences, environmental balance and cooperation, and also includes simple fruit-based recipes.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Removing insects· ChallengedEcological interdependence· AffirmedAnimals

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

animalsinsectsnaturescienceenvironmentcooking

FictionPicture book

Themes in Context

Removing what seems inconvenient

The animals remove the insects, then face waste and a shortage of fruit. Releasing the bugs restores the forest’s balance.

How the book presents it: The corrective ending and publisher’s environmental framing challenge the original solution. Working together does not make that solution wise.

Talk about: Can a good intention lead to a bad solution?

Recognising hidden contributions

The forest’s problems reveal work that the insects had been doing unnoticed.

How the book presents it: The story values interdependence: an annoying creature may still make an essential contribution.

Talk about: Whose useful work do we notice only when it stops?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

Getting rid of an annoyance creates problems with waste and fruit. That consequence makes a stronger discussion about insects' value than a general instruction to be kind to bugs.

What Deserves Attention

Removing insects disrupts woodland waste removal and fruit production.

A Conversation Worth Having

What did the animals lose when they got rid of the insects?

Reading Approach

Read aloud, then ask what changed when the insects disappeared and why bringing them back helped.

Publisher audience: ages 3–6. This is audience guidance, not a measured reading level.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Removing what seems inconvenient: This does not establish a rule for every real encounter with an insect.
Recognising hidden contributions: An ecological lesson should not be applied mechanically to unsafe human relationships.

Book information

catalogue record · ISBN 9781529028072

Relevant to: Removing what seems inconvenient; Recognising hidden contributions

Publisher information

same edition · ISBN 9781529028072