It releases pain inhibitors so the host cannot feel it suck blood.

Its mouth secretes something like glue to help keep it anchored to its host.

(These fascinating things did not make me fonder of them, quite the opposite, but it really is amazing what a tick can do.) For example, the tick’s body contains an arsenal of chemicals useful to acquisition of blood.

Here is a photo of the folder I kept all of my tick information in while I was working on this poem.Īfter reading all of these articles and many more, I discovered many fascinating things about the little creatures. So, how do you write a poem about something as disgusting as a tick? Well, it involves a lot of research, it really does. We were asked to focus on scientific facts about our bugs when creating our poems. Lice, fire ants, fleas, bedbugs, cockroaches, termites, and a host of other creepy crawly creatures were doled out. I am thrilled to be one of the poets featured! My poem, Tick-tock Tick appears on, along with a fabulous drawing by artist Will Terry, whose jewel-toned, super-fun illustrations accompany each poem in the collection.įor this collection, Lee assigned each poet a bug. Nasty Bugs, a book of poems about bugs edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and published by Dial hit the shelves on March 16. I have to admit that our girls decided to pass on the section in the back that provides additional information about each of the bugs profiled.I’m mixing things up this week because something exciting happened recently and I haven’t had time to write about it yet. Overall, I think this is a great book of poems and would be useful in a classroom or for storytime.

The illustrations are colorful and the poor, maligned bugs sorta look cute. more y, we really enjoyed reading them all at one time. The poems are short and most of them rhyme and while the poems can be enjoyed individuall. Review 2: This is a humorous and entertaining collection about bugs most of us consider quite odious, like fleas, cockroaches, mosquitos and the like. Fun facts about the featured creatures round out this sure bet for poetry fans and bug enthusiasts alike. From 'Ode to a Dead Mosquito' to 'Termite Tune,' this brightly illustrated, kid-friendly collection riffs on the details of the world's most infamous insects.

Patrick Lewis, and Rebecca Andrew Loescher.

Review 1: A collection of creepy, crawly poems by some of today's most beloved children's poets This tribute to the delightful nastiness of bugs features sixteen poems by accomplished children's poets, including Marilyn Singer, J.

Nasty Bugs by Lee Bennett Hopkins