Review of "Nurse Florence, Why Do Bug Bites Itch?" by Michael Dow

Score: 94/100 (9.4 out of 10)

Nurse Florence, Why Do Bug Bites Itch? is definitely one of the better installments in Michael Dow's long-running, award-winning Nurse Florence series! This is a health-based collection of children's books that we've long held mixed opinions about, largely due to hit-or-miss illustrations, stilted plots, hollow character motivations, and the complexity of the vocabulary (for children). What we've never questioned was the intention of these books: to introduce health topics to children while educating and exciting them about these topics.

Nurse Florence, Why Do Bug Bites Itch? is one of the best-illustrated and relatable books in the series.

These books are written to teach kids real science and real health concepts, often using situations that feel familiar and nonthreatening. On that front, this installment really shines. Bug bites are universal. They are annoying but not terrifying, which makes them a perfect entry point into talking about the immune system, skin, and germs. By the time kids reach the last page, they understand that the red bump and itch are not random punishment. They are the body reacting to chemicals in the insect's saliva.

The story setup is simple but effective. Jean, Condi, and Sonia are on their way to lunch when Sonia cannot stop scratching her arm. Enter Nurse Florence, who takes their questions seriously and walks them through the whole process, from the insect using a proboscis to pierce the skin, to the blood vessel underneath, to the body recognizing saliva as foreign. The dialogue feels smoother and more natural than in many previous entries. The kids ask the questions real children would ask. Nurse Florence answers in clear, short chunks that kids can follow without getting lost in jargon.

The illustrations are also a noticeable step up here. The close up of the mosquito proboscis in the skin is one of the best visuals in the series. It is simple and not too gross. The itchy bump, scratchy fingers, and expressive faces of the kids all support the text instead of distracting from it. The back matter, including the glossary and brief references, gives parents and teachers extra tools if they want to stretch this into a small lesson or discussion. The journal page with reflection questions is a smart touch for classrooms.

There are still a few series quirks that show up. The story is very lesson first and character second, so readers looking for big emotions or deeper character arcs will not find them here. The vocabulary is mostly well judged for early elementary, although we still rely on adults to help kids with words like "proboscis" or "saliva." That can be a plus if you treat the book as something to read together, which is probably how it works best.

We're going to say something a bit funny but true: the mosquito in this book is one of the cutest characters of the contest season! The author and illustrator took something that is usually seen as foreign, frustrating, annoying, pain-inducing, triggering, and scary, and actually made it cute and even friendly-seeming. This is probably a good thing. You don't want to make kids even more scared of something they're already scared of. It's true that bugs freak people out, not just mosquitos, but things like spiders, centipedes, and bed bugs. There are even people afraid of worms, beetles, and ants.

There've been studies done in which people who were afraid of spiders were shown "friendly spider" movies (as a form of exposure therapy), reporting later that their attitudes and feelings toward spiders were less negative and severe. So, this book could help in the same way.

Oh, and one of the other awesome things about this book is that it actually provides practical advice on how to deal with bug bites, like using calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream, or even an ice cube to reduce itching. That turns the story from just “here is why it happens” into “here is what you can actually do,” which kids and parents will both appreciate.

Ironically, we just read Steel Soldier, a book about the Battle of Guadalcanal which spoke a lot about malaria-carrying mosquitos, so it's a danger that arguably can't be underestimated, but it shouldn't be so terrifying that one can't live their life without freaking out about each and every bug bite.

Check it out on Amazon!