I love you stick insect by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
![cover image](https://www.readplus.com.au/covers/iloveyoustickinsect.jpg)
Bloomsbury, 2018. ISBN 9781408869925
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Stick insects. Butterflies.
Friendship. Recognition. When the stick insect spies another of his
kind, he falls in love. She is the most beautiful stick insect he
has ever seen and he dreams of their life together. They will have
fun and laugh together, join a band and make some marvelous noise,
dip their toes in the ocean, surf and fly with the birds. In the
background the butterfly keeps warning, 'It's a stick!'
Without drawing breath our ardent lover tells his beloved that they
will ride on motorbikes, and hop on a rollercoaster, go to the
pictures together with a huge bag of popcorn.
When he finally leans towards her he finds that butterfly is correct
and he bemoans the fact that no one told him, eliciting a wonderful
line from the butterfly.
Children will laugh with the stick insect as he imagines their
wonderful life together, becoming more aware that butterfly is
correct in her assertion.
It begs the question of things not being all they seem, or of
judging books by their cover, or taking a step back, of the saying
'fools rush in'. These could be discussed with children as they read
this book.
Teachers and students will take the opportunity to further research
this insect and possibly set up a stick insect tank in the
classroom.
The arresting illustrations use only a few lines to get across the
stick insect's ardour, sometimes filling in the background with
water colour wash that creates part of the setting. His highly
original illustrations took my eye when I read, I'm
going to eat this ant (2017) and I am hopeful that more
will appear from this engaging and creative author.
Fran Knight