Beetle Bedlam

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Bark beetle is in deep trouble. He has been arrested by his fellow
beetles and stands accused of destroying trees. An angry mob shouts
“Tree killer! Forest wrecker!” as he is marched into the courtroom
between two large-horned stag beetles. The prosecution has lined up a
dozen witnesses. The fierce-looking hercules beetle nearly scares
everyone to death. A voracious tiger beetle tries to eat two spectators.
A dung-roller beetle stinks up the proceedings. A bombardier beetle lets
off some steam. Even the judge, a huge goliath beetle, seems
short-tempered, possibly from drinking too much fermented tree sap the
night before. Bark beetle can only fear the worst, because the charge is
true: his species does eat trees.

If you like hard science mixed with a big splash of silly, this book is
for you. According to the afterword by Dr. J.M. Campbell, a professional
entomologist for the Canadian federal government, “All the information
in this book is true. Most people think of beetles as pests but these
much-maligned creatures are, in fact, the most fascinating of
insects.” Author/illustrator Vlasta van Kampen uses 11 spectacularly
weird beetles to tell a hilarious story. She concocts the same magic in
her illustrations, where scientific accuracy goes feeler to feeler with
bug-eyed comedy. Highly recommended.