3 Cheers for Bug on the Rug- Blog Tour!

This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase something I have shared, I will earn a small commission...at no extra cost to you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you have ever wondered what happens when a pug and a bug find themselves on the same rug…well, have I got the book for you! Bug on the Rug is the hilarious new release from author Sophia Gholz and it not only delivers the laughs, but it also delivers a great message on sharing and compromise! I am so thrilled to be joining my friends at Sleeping Bear Press for this Blog Tour to celebrate the release of Bug on the Rug! Let’s take a peek inside and see why I think this will be a fan favorite among the kids…and a fantastic tool for learning how to read!

Bug on the Rug

Bug on the Rug is the story of Pug…who adores his rug. As he is snoozing away on his beloved rug (like all good pugs love to do) he is invaded by bug. This interloping insect has taken over his rug. The nerve. Pug isn’t going to take this lying down…nope he has to think quick. He needs to boot the bug and reclaim that rug! But…here’s the thing…it seems that bug also really really loves that rug. So he is prepared for battle. Things get heated…pug and bug aren’t being very nice at all. It is a good thing for them that slug steps in to help. Thankfully he is a pretty level-headed slug who is able to help get to the bottom of the problem. Maybe they can even reach a compromise!

Three Cheers for Bug on the Rug

Oh how I loved this book. I was so looking forward to reading Bug on the Rug. For starters, I adore author Sophia Gholz. I have long been a fan of her non-fiction picture books (more on this later). So, when I learned that she was releasing a work of fiction I was so excited. And second, I adore books that tackle topics around Social Emotional Learning. When I learned that this would deal with sharing and compromise I just knew I had to read it.

I am happy to report that this lived up to my hopes…and then some! This was such a FUN book to read. Not only did it offer killer rhyming, but it was packed full of laughs. There are times when rhyming in picture books just really misses the mark for me, but this one was stellar! Flowed easily and wasn’t forced at all!

The illustrations by artist Susan Batori were not only fantastic, but were the perfect pairing for this story. The expressions she captured on all of the characters were priceless. You could 100% envision the story happening in real-life! I found myself not only laughing at the story, but also giggling at the faces of the creatures! Kids are going to adore them! Just look at those facial expressions!

Ok, so onto the topic of Social Emotional Learning. This book teaches the art of sharing and compromise so well. It isn’t preachy or in your face which I love! It is done in such a natural way and doesn’t at all talk down to the children. I also love that apologies were included. Seeing examples of people (or animals) saying they are sorry and working out their differences is such an important tool for teaching kids. It was done in such a natural way and showed kids how painless it can be!

Learning to Read with Bug on the Rug

I have such fond memories of helping my kids learn to read. One of my favorite things to do was to do shared reading with them. I would read the longer sections of the book and they would read the shorter sections, often containing sights words and rhyming. Bug on the Rug would be an absolutely perfect tool for learning to read. It teaches phonics beautifully and really helps to build reading skills.

Something else I loved about Bug on the Rug for learning to read is the amount of words on each page. There aren’t too many words on the page so that it becomes overwhelming and frustrating…but…there are enough words that the story still flows and makes sense. One thing that I have noticed in some “learning to read” books is that it is just a series of rhyming words without much of a story. I think kids want that story. They don’t just want to recite choppy words. I think Bug on the Rug does this perfectly. It is a story that kids are really going to enjoy because it is clever and funny…and they might not even realize they are building these phonics skills! The photo below is a perfect example of all of this!

One last thing that I think is such a fantastic touch…kids are able to get actively involved in the story. I am including a pic below so you can see what I mean! The last sentence on the page allows the kids to predict what comes next! This is fantastic for building those rhyming and phonics skills…and its a blast to do. It involves play and reader participation and I think it’s awesome!

About the Author

I mentioned above that I adore the non-fiction picture books that Sophia Gholz has written. She is the author of several different books, but my personal favorites are her picture book biographies. I was actually first introduced to her writing through her book The Boy who Grew a Forest: The True Story of Jadav Payeng. Asbolutely fell in love with this book and her beautiful writing. I had never heard of Jadav and was so thrilled to learn his story. I also had the opportunity last year to review Jack Horner: Dinosaur Hunter! This was another gem that introduced me to someone I had never heard of. Her writing truly reflects the love and care that she puts into her books. Can’t recommend them enough!

For more information on Sophia Gholz you can find her at the following locations:

Website: www.sophiagholz.com
Twitter: @sophiagholz
Instagram: @sophiagholz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sophiagholzauthor

About the Illustrator

Bug on the Rug is illustrated by artist Susan Batori. I have read several other books that she has illustrated and they all have such charming illustrations!

For more information on artist Susan Batori, you can check out the links below:

Website: https://susanbatori.hu/

Twitter: @susanbatori

Instagram: @susanbatori

Happy Reading!

I want to send a huge thank you out to my friends at Sleeping Bear Press for including me in this fantastic blog tour! I absolutely adored the book! You can read more about Sleeping Bear Press over on their website. They have such a phenomenal collection of books and their website is an incredible resource! They offer an enormous array of Teacher Guides to go with their books and they make a fabulous resource for parents and teachers!

You can read more about some of my favorite books from Sleeping Bear Press here and here.

Bug on the Rug was published on 4/15/22 and is available for purchase now!