Built Like a Bug

ANJALI JOSHI is a science teacher and curriculum developer by day, and a children’s book author by night. She has published over ten books for children, sharing her love of science and storytelling through her books. Anjali lives in Toronto with her family.KATHLEEN NG is a Toronto-based artist who dabbles in a little bit of everything. She enjoys drawing bunnies, crocheting flowers, and playing around with clay.

• Introduction 1 Survival of the Fittest: From mighty mosquitos to clever cockroaches, insect adaptations have inspired incredible inventions in medicine and beyond. 2 What Stuff’s Made Of: Bugs are masters of all kinds of materials – slimy, stretchy, or strong. And no one does it better than web-weaving wonders of the world! 3 Keepin’ Earth Green and Clean: Termite titans, glowing fireflies, and beautiful butterflies are tiny Earth rangers that know a thing or two about energy efficiency.4 Not Old MacDonald’s Farm! Whether it’s organizing like a leaf-cutter ant or collecting water like a darkling beetle, insect agriculture has inspired us to think about farming in a new light. 5 Robots, Robots Everywhere! Look no further than these dazzling dragonflies, robotic ants, and lifesaving roaches to discover the incredible future of some promising insect-inspired robots! 6 Transforming Trash: So many poopy possibilities when you think like dung beetles, termites, and silkworms! 7 Talking the Talk and Walking the Walk: Dancing bees and parasitic flies can get their message across in more ways than one!8 Finding the Way: No need for a compass or a GPS—hawk moths, dung beetles, and sun-loving ants manage to find their way using the world around them.Conclusion Engineering Like an Insect: Hands-on STEM Activities You Can Do at HomeGlossaryResources Index