This book is quite aptly named. What a wonderful use of onomatopoeia to create the sounds of the insects about which the poems are written! This book is written not just in two parts but for two people to read aloud. And read aloud I did. Fleischman does an excellent job of using rhyme schemes, imagery, metaphor, and spoken round (like "Row, Row, Row Your Boat...") to paint a beautiful scene for the reader. To be honest I've never really thought about bugs much, but I felt like I was back in the world of White’s Charlotte's Web where insects and animals can communicate and it was pretty great.
The use of metaphor and lyrical alliteration in the poems give the reader an appreciation and respect for the poet’s diction and the poems’ aesthetic appeal. For example in “Fireflies,” Fleischman writes, “Light/is the ink we use/Night/is our parchment…Insect calligraphers/practicing penmanship/six-legged scribblers” (11-13). Each of the poems is written from the perspective of a different insect or insects and it is a great exercise in switching perspectives. Fleischman's poems are not only aesthetically pleasing, but they also focus on common literary themes like growth, death and rebirth. And he is funny! One poem is a moth's serenade to a porch light and anyone who has enjoyed a sweltering summer night can relate to this and laugh: “Porch/light,/hear my plight!/I drink your light/like nectar/Dream of you/by day/Gaze in your eyes/all night/Porch light!” The moth’s language and feelings towards the light are comically reminiscent of the forbidden love of Romeo and Juliet: “ ‘Keep back,’ they say/I cant!/‘Don’t touch,’ they say/I must!” (19).
I also appreciated the poem about bees from the point of view of the worker and the queen at the same time-what an eye opener. (Part A is underlined, Part B is italicized, joint parts are left plain) For example: “Being a bee/is a joy/is a pain./ I’m a queen/I’m a worker…I’m bathed/then I take out/the hive’s morning trash/then I’m groomed” (30).
I would love to write a poem that describes a school day from my point of view and the point of view of my students and see what it looks like—or even my perspective as a student and a professor’s as a teacher. Book and insect lovers alike will appreciate "Book Lice," that follows a pair of wedded lice living and chewing their way through great works of literature by famous literary figures such as Conan Doyle, Keats, Horace, and Shakespeare.
I also really enjoyed Eric Beddows’ illustrations. They add a great deal to the text of the poems-he is an extremely talented artist. They really help to give Fleischman’s characters even more personality. As I was reading, I kept thinking that the poems sounded like song lyrics of some kind, and I actually discovered that some of them have been made into songs! This is a great interpretation of Moth's Serendade
--> set to music and performed by Shirley Hoffman Warren. What a great example of the many ways one can interpret poetry. After stumbling upon these songs, I looked into other work Fleischman has done, and I was really impressed! There are a number of his works that have been adapted for the stage and re-written as song lyrics. Visit Paul's Website for more information! I would recommend this book in pieces, these poems are meant to be savored one by one and definitely read it aloud! Happy reading! 
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