{"id":28416,"date":"2015-10-07T22:14:36","date_gmt":"2015-10-08T02:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28416"},"modified":"2015-10-07T22:14:36","modified_gmt":"2015-10-08T02:14:36","slug":"review-of-bug-in-a-vacuum-by-melanie-watt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=28416","title":{"rendered":"Review of Bug in a Vacuum, by M\u00e9lanie Watt"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bug_in_a_vacuum_large\"<\/a>Bug in a Vacuum<\/em><\/p>\n

by M\u00e9lanie Watt<\/p>\n

Tundra Books, 2015. 96 pages.<\/p>\n

This book makes me laugh. The premise is simple: It\u2019s the stages of grief as experienced by a fly caught in a vacuum cleaner.<\/p>\n

The note at the back explains, \u201cThe five stages of grief, also known as the Kubler-Ross model, introduced in 1969, are a series of emotions commonly experienced when facing a life-changing event.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yes, this would be helpful for explaining the stages of grief to a child. But it\u2019s also just plain fun. Although it\u2019s long, there aren\u2019t a lot of words on each page, and the lavish illustrations do most of the work of telling the story.<\/p>\n

The fly, of course, has something to say at every stage:<\/p>\n

Denial: \u201cThis is amazing! Doesn\u2019t get much cozier than this \u2026 Can\u2019t wait to tell my friends about this place!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bargaining: \u201cMy how the time flies! I must be on my way. Can I be vacuumed next Monday instead? Tonight\u2019s bowling night with the dung beetles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anger: \u201cI WANT OUT NOW!!! NO MORE MR. NICE FLY!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Despair: \u201cI\u2019ll never see the sky again. Let\u2019s face it \u2026 I have no future!\u201d<\/p>\n

Acceptance: \u201cI surrender! I\u2019ll make the best of things \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the book is made less bleak in that the fly eventually does escape, as the vacuum is hauled to a dump and breaks open. There\u2019s a parallel journey involving a dog and its stuffed toy \u2013 and the dog gets distracted while the toy ends up part of a bird\u2019s nest, so we are given an alternate ending.<\/p>\n

You might think that a lot of pictures of the inside of a vacuum would get old, but M\u00e9lanie Watt knows how to add details to keep you occupied many times through the book.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t exactly a book for storytimes \u2013 but it is a book that could be used as bibliotherapy \u2013 but is also an engaging, brilliantly illustrated, and entertaining story totally apart from its teaching value. And since I consider few things worse than a didactic book that is not entertaining, as far as I\u2019m concerned, that\u2019s a big win.<\/p>\n

penguinrandomhouse.ca<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/bug_in_a_vacuum.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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