The Bug Collector

George loves Sundays. He shares with his grandad who always takes him to interesting places. One particular Sunday they visit a wildlife museum. Grandad disregards the dinosaurs and heads straight for the mini beast section. George is soon captivated by the incredible creatures and resolves to build his own bug collection. This doesn’t prove easy and it takes a while for George to perfect his technique. Once he does, George is on a roll and he fills his tree house with an amazing collection of bugs. Looking closely, George marvels at the colours and shapes of a captured butterfly, but young readers will spot that the butterfly is not looking at all happy. On his journey home George notices everything is much quieter than usual, and there are no bugs to catch. Grandad is very cross when he realises what George has done. He teaches George about bugs, all they do for us and why they should not be trapped in jars. Together they find a way to create a natural environment to encourage and enjoy minibeasts.

George is an appealing character and his relationship with his grandad is very warm. The lively style of the text and the illustrations perfectly match George’s enthusiasm.  The Big Collector is not only a very enjoyable story, it also incorporates information about mini beasts and their importance in the natural world. Sharing this book might inspire young naturalists to observe bugs in their natural environment and find out more about creating minibeast friendly habitats.