What If Pests Had a Favorite Children’s Book?

What If Pests had a Favorite Children’s Book?

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and mother figures from Pointe Pest Control! We hope you have a wonderful day celebrating the joy of motherhood and the heart that it takes to raise children to be kind and independent people. One of the common traits of motherhood is having  your kids ask you to read a bedtime story, only to be met with a stack of storybooks when you ask them which one they want. There are many classic children’s books that families still read today, since they are classics for a reason. As another installment in our sporadic imaginative series, today we ponder the question: what if pests had a favorite children’s book?

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish – Bed Bug

This series is a good time for both children and parents. The title character is a quirky housekeeper who is notable for her tendency to take everything literally. This means that any instruction given by her employers, friends, and neighborhood children will be taken in its literal context rather than the metaphorical one by Amelia. One notable example is when she is asked to dress the chicken for dinner, and she does so by literally dressing it in suspenders and shorts! We have a feeling that the bed bug would be a fan of this series. Its own name is a literal reflection of its habits and personality. Although it can be found in many areas of the home, the bed bug’s favorite place is the bed because it’s the best hiding spot with easy access to its favorite food: our blood. So it would probably get a kick out of Amelia’s antics and how she seems to have never heard of the most popular phrases used in our American English vernacular today. Since bed bugs literally love to be in bed, they would likely draw close to the children’s books that share a similar interest in being literal. 

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne – Bee

This beloved series has been adapted time and again in different mediums, including a couple of theatrical movies and a theme park ride. But nothing beats the original books and their delightful humor in the adventures of Pooh Bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. These bring delight to any child who has dreamed of going on adventures with their beloved stuffed animals, aka every child ever. The bee would love this series, no doubt. Since it spends its life visiting flowers to collect pollen and nectar for the hive, it likely comes across many kinds of strange creatures and has adventures as it travels near and far. It also shares an affinity for honey with Pooh, since it is the beautiful creation that bees spend so much time crafting for other creatures to enjoy, like humans and delightfully curious bears. It would be hard for the bee to pick a favorite character, but it would likely choose either Pooh Bear for the honey or Rabbit for his hardworking nature. 

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein – Butterfly

This book has become more controversial over the years. Some people don’t like that the main plot of the story is the tree giving everything to the growing boy, who doesn’t truly appreciate her selfless nature. But there is something to be said about the staying power of this book, maybe because of its theme of unconditional love. The butterfly would definitely enjoy this book and its core message. Butterflies aren’t a pest and are actually quite beneficial pollinators, but we’re including them for the sake of this list. They mind their own business, flitting from flower to flower, but they seem like they would really value giving love in their lives. Butterflies only live half a month to one month, so they would relate with making the most of an unlikely short life. They would be all-too-familiar with kids, since they are often stared at by children who are fascinated (and for good reason!) with the intricate artwork decorating their wings. Butterflies would also sympathize with the tree’s life being cut short, since butterflies are the prey of all kinds of animals, often making their already short life even shorter. 

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin – Firefly

This fun modern story is told through the combination of traditional prose and the “letters” that the cows write to the farmer. Basically, the farm animals want better working conditions, including electric blankets, and the farmer begrudgingly meets their demands to be sure that he will still receive the products that these animals are naturally skilled at producing. Fireflies would love this story because of its humor and message of peacefully making your needs known in life. They would also likely be aware of at least most of these farm animals, since fireflies live mainly in fields and meadows that could be surrounding farms. Since fireflies use their bioluminescence (ability to glow) to communicate, it’s easy to imagine them conveying lighthearted messages to one another in addition to the warnings regarding predators that they use. Fireflies are also not a major pest since they tend to stay away from our homes and don’t leave much damage behind. But they do attract larger, more pest-like insects that would make both their lives and ours frustrating. Consequently, fireflies would also wonder about the logistics behind their ability to purchase and use a typewriter to make their wants known too.

Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel – Fly

This is another older classic series about best friends and all of the adventures they find themselves on. Frog and Toad are, respectively, a frog and toad that are funny best friends who spend their days doing ordinary things, like buying ice cream, that inevitably turn into wild times with these two. Flies seem like they would love this series of stories. Their favorite would be the ones involving food, like when Toad buys ice cream and it turns him into a monster when it all melts and covers him in the mud-like chocolate. Or the one where they consume a ton of cookies while saying that they should really stop and save some for tomorrow in between bites. Flies seem like social insects in that they like to annoy us when we have a food or drink they like, or even if we’re just in an area that they have already claimed. So they would love a collection of stories about inseparable friends who never have a boring day together, since flies also (clearly) will fly anywhere to get their grubby hands on some kind of food. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle – Mosquito

Judging by the title, you may think that this would be the favorite of the early stage of a butterfly or moth. But this standard children’s story about a starving caterpillar that gradually eats its way through the book, leaving holes in our favorite foods, would likely be the favorite of the mosquito. Here is why: mosquitoes eat a lot. If they’re not consuming nectar, they are drinking our blood, which we know because of the itchy bites left behind. Typically, the female mosquitoes only drink our blood when they need protein for their eggs, so it’s not every mosquito that bites us. But clearly enough of them do, which is how diseases like malaria are spread. The mosquito would love looking at all of the delicious food that the caterpillar consumes, like chocolate cake. It would also probably like the little holes that are left in the food, since they also leave holes in our skin after biting. This simple story about a famished caterpillar who consumes everything it can before going through metamorphosis would greatly appeal to the mosquito, who is also often hungry and seeking out anything that would give them their much-needed protein content. 

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown – Moth

This is the classic of all classics. This story focuses on a young bunny who tells all of its belongings “good night” before heading off to bed, and the last thing it sweetly bids goodnight to is the moon. The moth would definitely love this short and sweet story. Many of the over 11,000 species of moths in the U.S. are nocturnal, which means that they are likely good friends with the moon. They would like the soothing nature of the words, since moths are not aggressive or erratic really at all. Even though the night is the beginning of the moth’s “day,” they might like the idea of telling every flower, insect, and light “good night” while they fly around and look for natural fibers to eat. While moths are known for drawing near to our porch lights and screen doors due to the lights on inside the home, they do like to spend their time outside in the night air, flying by the light of the moon until they find a nice porch light to land on. The moths that unfortunately make their way into our wardrobes and clothing might even like to tell each fabric “good night” before they eat through it and leave those irritating little holes behind. 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff – Mouse

This one might be a little too on-the-nose, but it would definitely appeal to the title pest. This book sparked a whole series about the consequences of giving an animal one thing that will lead them to ask for a bunch of other things. The original book teaches readers the ways of cause and effect. Namely, how every action has a reaction, good or bad. A mouse who wants a cookie will then request a glass of milk, and so on until the providing human is running out of supplies. Real mice would love this story because they would greatly relate to it. The main reason that mice steal our food and resources is for their nest. They build these homes out of grass, leaves, and bark, which leaves our plants looking a little sparse after the mice visit. They would love the colorful illustrations and how the mouse actually gets what it asks for, even though that’s not the point of the story. Mice would probably consider asking humans for food like their storybook hero, but would find out very quickly that this book is definitely a work of fiction. 

Curious George series by H.A. Rey – Roach

The beloved monkey and all of his adventures sparked by his insatiable curiosity would undoubtedly appeal to the cockroach, since it already inspires children everywhere. Kids are incredibly curious about the world that they live in, since they are so new to everything and therefore don’t know the answers to some of the more basic questions of life. George, the curious monkey in question, is a reflection of these mischievous questions in story form, and the Man With the Yellow Hat is there to provide safety and answers. The cockroach would love this series because they are also always exploring where they probably shouldn’t be. Roaches are scavengers, which means they are constantly looking for food, water, and shelter anywhere that they can. They do tend to gravitate towards mess because it provides safety along with the provisions, but roaches can also invade a clean place. They would relate to George’s ability to find trouble everywhere, and enjoy reading about the wild adventures he manages to go on in the big city. 

The Berenstain Bears series by Stan & Jan Berenstain – Spider

This family of bears has been the star of many different books that all have a different specific lesson for children to learn. They have a wide range in order to tackle many of the topics that children experience during their lives, including cleaning a messy room, telling the truth, and going to school for the first time. The family is comprised of Papa and Mama Bear and their children, Brother and Sister Bear (and Honey Bear in later stories). Spiders would absolutely adore this series. They would love the family aspect of it, since the mother spiders who lay eggs in an egg sac watch over it until the time is right. Some spiders even parent their children beyond the egg stage; the wolf spider carries her babies on her back until they are strong enough to manage life on their own. The productive lessons in these books would appeal to the hardworking spiders that are always building webs or waiting for their prey to make a mistake. Spiders would love all of the books in this series, but their favorite would be a tie between The Berenstain Bears’ Moving Day (spiders are always looking for a home) and The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers (spiders are wary of basically everyone). 

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper – Termite

This stand-alone story is a great way to encourage children to believe in themselves and have value in self-motivation. The little blue train engine encourages itself to make its way uphill so that all of the toys and food can make their way to the homes of children in the next town, which is their purpose in life. Termites would take this story to heart and put the lessons to work as they tackle their own life’s purpose as adults. Termites are always working, but not in any sort of way that we want. They eat their way through wood and organic materials to build their colonies, which have different factions that also live in the wood structure they are currently eating. Termites would love the tenacity and gradual confidence of the engine, and carry its classic phrase into the rest of their lives. They would also like the imagery of chugging along even when it seems impossible, since these tiny pests have likely encountered wood that seems too tough to eat through until they actually do it, much to our chagrin. 

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson – Wasp

This is another book that people have varying opinions on. Some absolutely love Harold and his vivid imagination put to use by his trusty purple crayon, while others are bored with the story and how it could all be resolved if his parents actually made sure Harold was in bed at bedtime. The collection of stories is centered on the concept of Harold using this magical violet crayon to draw anything he pleases, which then comes alive and can be used by him. Wasps would love this concept because they are also innovative and problem-solving. If a wasp nest isn’t properly handled by a professional, they will return and be even more defensive than before. Wasps can also make their homes in abandoned hives and nests from other species, like carpenter bees, so they would definitely enjoy Harold’s creativity with this new tool. Wasps are inherently more aggressive and angry than Harold, which is proven anytime someone gets too close to their home. But this book would always be enough to calm the wasp down and make it focus on the imaginative story rather than the problems of its life due to its own strategically-poor placement of nests. 

Pest Control is an Instant Classic

These stories are all classics, many of them for quite a few decades, and continue to inspire children everywhere to use their imagination and problem-solving skills to make life a little more enjoyable. Pest control has also been around for quite a while due to its ability to make life a little better. While mothers and children are celebrating Mother’s Day everywhere, pest mothers also like to celebrate by finding a new home in our homes! Our pest control experts are here to serve you and help with any pest concern that is keeping you from enjoying Mother’s Day, and every day, to the fullest.

***Disclaimer:  Section 107 of the United States Copyright Act recognizes “fair use” copywriter content as such:  “Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phono-records or by any other means specified by that section, for proposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.” This blog post may contain certain copyrighted works and characters that were not specifically authorized to be used by the copyrighted holder(s), however, the content on this post qualifies as “commentary” on the copyrighted works under the “fair use” doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Act and is thereby protected by federal law. Furthermore, we do not claim any ownership or creative rights of any characters on this list, and all rights outside of the fair use doctrine belong to the respective owner(s).

Citations

Berenstain, S. & Berenstain, J. (1978). The Berenstain bears go to school. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/900070.The_Berenstain_Bears_Go_to_School (Accessed on April 25, 2022).

Carle, E. (1969). The very hungry caterpillar. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4948.The_Very_Hungry_Caterpillar (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Cronin, D. & Lewin, B. (1999). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/766955.Click_Clack_Moo (Accessed on April 25, 2022).

Joffe Numeroff, L. & Bond, F. (2015). If you give a mouse a cookie. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/767680.If_You_Give_a_Mouse_a_Cookie (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the purple crayon. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98573.Harold_and_the_Purple_Crayon (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Lobel, A. (1970). Frog and toad are friends. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/537296.Frog_and_Toad_Are_Friends (Accessed on April 25, 2022).

Milne. A.A. & Shepherd, E.H. (1926). Winnie-the-pooh. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99107.Winnie_the_Pooh (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Parish, P. & Siebel, F. (1963). Amelia Bedelia. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/774001.Amelia_Bedelia (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Piper, W., Hauman, D., & Hauman, G. (1930). The little engine that could. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/824204.The_Little_Engine_That_Could (Accessed on April 25, 2022).

Rey, H.A. (1941). Curious George. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/420297.Curious_George (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Silverstein, S. (1964). The giving tree. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/370493.The_Giving_Tree (Accessed on April 25, 2022). 

Wise Brown, M. & Hurd, C. (1947). Goodnight moon. Goodreads. Available at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32929.Goodnight_Moon?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=GUVIMQ6BjX&rank=1 (Accessed on April 25, 2022).