Don’t Squish a Slug: A Wonderful Celebration of Marvellous Minibeasts!
Yussef Rafik
Illustrated by Riley Samels
The Quarto Group/words & pictures
Ages 7-10
Available February 18, 2025

Have you ever wondered what the world’s biggest insect is? Do you want to know why slugs produce slime? Are you ready to learn how to decode a honeybee’s “waggle dance?” If you’re curious about bugs, then this is the book for you! Don’t Squish a Slug: A Wonderful Celebration of Marvelous Minibeasts is a look into the big world of the smallest creatures on Earth. From camouflage champions to poisonous pros, Rafik explores some of the most amazing and interesting bugs out there, and explains what makes each one of them special and important.

More than just a book of bug facts, Don’t Squish a Slug is about caring for even the smallest of creatures. “It’s really important that we have empathy for bugs,” the introduction to the book says, “We should appreciate what they do for our planet an learn to love living alongside them” (5). To that end, each entry includes mentions of how each bug is useful to humans and our environment. Particularly scary or off-putting entries, such as the horrifyingly named tongue-eating louse, are partnered with reassurances that they pose no threat to the average human. Samels’ colorful full-page illustrations are accurate while remaining stylized and not overly-detailed, and even classic creepy-crawlies like spiders and millipedes manage to be represented without looking unsettling or upsetting to the most squeamish of readers. By combining fascinating facts with reminders of the helpfulness and importance of these “minibeasts,” Rafik’s book is sure to foster a love (or at least a tolerant understanding) of insects in readers.

With enjoyable illustrations and exciting information, this book is sure to please bug-lovers, while also inspiring curiosity in those less fond of them. Regardless of their opinion going in, any child is sure to finish Don’t Squish a Slug with newfound knowledge and appreciation for these teeny-tiny creatures.