Mosquito

By: Virginia Kroll
Illustrated by: Betsy LePlatt
Publisher: Pelican Publishing
Publication Date: September 2011
ISBN: 978-1589808836
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: October 2011

How many ways can you tell an annoying, disruptive, pesky mosquito to go away? Apparently, there are quite a few ways, many of which the animals in Mosquito use to get rid of the irritating bug. Mosquito begins by buzzing Moose who tells the pest to “Vamoose!” Instead of getting the hint, Mosquito just moves on to buzz another forest animal. One after the other tells the mosquito to stop bothering them and the insect just doesn’t get the hint. He simply moves on to another and another and another:

“Buzz,” said Mosquito.
“Bah, Bah!” bawled Lamb.
“Buzz,” said Mosquito.
“Now scram!” bleated Ram.

Will Mosquito ever stop bothering the animals of the forest? Well, he just might when he meets up with Bat because bats like to eat mosquitoes!

Beautifully illustrated with bright watercolors, the author and illustrator have done a wonderful job of capturing the life of an annoying mosquito. The text is fairly brief, making this book ideal for very young readers/those with short attention spans. While the mosquito meets with a quick end, as the bat “gulp, gulp” enjoys a meal, children will learn much about this pest. There is also a page of “Mosquito Facts,” at the back of the book, explaining why a mosquito bites, how you can prevent getting bitten, and how bats catch mosquitoes.

Quill says: A very fun book about a very annoying pest.