Kid Lit Round-Up: Let's Go Buggy with Bug

Don’t you just hate it when you’re in the middle of a pleasant shopping trip and suddenly you spot bugs on the merchandise? It’s especially gross when you see them on the salad bar, isn’t it? Fortunately, in Bug’s Trip to the Store that’s not the kind of bug we’re talking about.

Bug is a yellow Volkswagen who is hungry, so he needs to go to the store to get something to eat. The store, in this case, is a gas station. Bug apparently hasn’t been out much on his own, and a trip alone can be a frightening experience, particularly when there are monster semi’s sharing the road.

Bug’s story is a classic in the same vein as Little Toot and The Little Engine that Could. It’s about being small in a big world and having to do things for yourself. Told in rhyme, Bug’s Trip to the Store is the first book in the Bug’s Adventure series. Author/illustrator K.M. Groshek does a fine job bringing this little-car-that-can to life with vibrant illustrations. The rhythm of the story will appeal to young children who, after more than one reading, will be repeating it back with the reader.

Bug’s Trip to the Store is not just about doing things on one’s own. It’s about facing fears and committing oneself to completing a task, even when it’s not always pleasant. Once Bug gets to the gas station and has a snack, he has to return home. Bug knows that the trip home may be as frightening as the trip to the store, but he has a mantra that I like so much I may adopt: “Aim, Purpose, Arrive.” It seems so much better to concentrate on that positive message than the fear of doing something, and it’s more powerful than “I can do this,” repeated endlessly.

Bug makes it home without a scratch and enjoys the sense of accomplishment he gets from his success. Bug’s Trip to the Store is a tale that conveys that trying — although it might be challenging or scary — leads to success, and through our endeavors we learn.  (It’s not at all surprising that Groshek, in addition to being a writer and illustrator, is also an executive coach and marathon runner.)

Children will find this world of driverless cars entertaining and reinforcing. Adults will not find cockroaches in the lettuce bins.

Bottom Line: Would I buy Bug’s Trip to the Store? Yes. In addition to fanciful stories, children benefit from hearing messages of empowerment. I’m looking forward to the further adventures of Bug.

Bug, the little yellow Volkswagen, is not only years younger than I (and presumably less experienced), he is also much more courageous. Bug, despite his misgivings, is willing to attempt to navigate a corn maze.

There’s a popular corn maze not far from my home, and there has not been one autumn when I was tempted to try it. There never will be. Maybe I should re-read Bug’s Trip to the Store. (I did make it through my grandson’s pre-school corn maze when Chip and I accompanied him and his mother on an apple-picking trip. I don’t think that really counts, because it wasn’t actually made of corn, just bales of hay over which we could all easily see.)

In Bug Goes through the Maze, our indomitable friend, Bug, decides to explore a corn maze he passes daily. He is greeted by a friendly pumpkin who shows him where to start, and meets a very smart flower who explains the difference between a labyrinth and a maze (I don’t know when you will use that information, but it’s always nice to add to your store of knowledge.). When the flower advises Bug, “Take your time and enjoy every path and new sight; the choices are endless,” I broke out in a cold sweat. It must have been a flashback to the mirror maze I went through last summer (clinging to my teenage granddaughter’s hand).

 Bug bravely plots his course through the maze, taking his time at each intersection and junction. At one point he is stopped by a scarecrow without a clue; he’s lost and scared (sound familiar?). Bug is really a world-class philosopher; he advises the scarecrow, “Don’t give up…I’m sure you will see the choices you make are really the key.” Right there author/illustrator K.M. Groshek delivers a powerhouse message, and we’re not even halfway through the maze…I mean book.

Just as Bug’s confidence flags, he runs into (not literally) the pumpkin who says a few words of encouragement. Bug continues through the maze, coming out a better…um…car. If there’s one thing Bug knows how to do, it’s persevere.

Groshek entertains with a rhythmic poem populated with lively characters illustrated in bright, crayon-box colors. Her final message, “Taking a chance helps you reach, stretch, and grow,” reminds children that having new experiences is a good thing. Bug Goes through the Maze is a lesson in confidence and capability that gives the reader many opportunities for discussion with his or her audience (even if it’s an audience of one).

 Bottom Line: Would I buy Bug Goes through the Maze? Yes, I don’t want my copy of Bug Goes to the Store to be lonely.

The more I read about Bug — the little yellow Volkswagen with the expressive face and will to succeed — the more I like him. Reading positive messages, even when we know what to expect, is an effective adjunct to positive self-talk (as opposed to talking to oneself. Always do that with a cell phone or Bluetooth in place and no one will think anything of it). Adults who read the Bug’s Adventure Series to children will benefit from being reminded how to think positively (and effectively).

In Bug Meets His Friend, the second in the series, we join Bug in a winter adventure. He teams up with his friend, Cooper, who helps him choose between the playground and the track as the day’s destination. They opt for the track, but on the way it begins to snow. By the time they get to the track, it is snow-covered. Snow won’t hold our heroes back, and they delight in being the first to make tracks. They start out slowly, but then commence racing (I’m getting suspicious. When it snows, I don’t drive anywhere. Does my car take off on its own for a little frosty fun?), and, happily, neither skids or slides into anything.

The two little cars race around the track until dark, then go home. Bug Meets His Friend shows us, through playful illustrations by author K.M. Groshek, that things are more fun when we have a friend with which to share them, and when we’re stuck on a decision, we can ask someone else’s advice. Of the three Bug books I’ve read (including, Bug’s Trip to the Store and Bug Goes through the Maze), Bug Meets His Friend is the slightest. Car-loving kiddies, though, are sure to identify with the two little cars and enjoy the story and the bright pictures that accompany it.

I have to remind myself that all stories need not carry a heavy message, that reading should be done for the enjoyment of the written word and the storyteller’s skill. With Bug Meets His Friend, Groshek delivers a story to which children can relate. Perky little (or should I say “sub-compact”?) Bug and his friend Cooper enjoy a day out playing in the snow. I hope to encounter these two again — perhaps Cooper has a sister named Minnie — in further adventures.

Bottom Line: Would I buy Bug Meets His Friend? Yes, it’s a sweet tale for young children.