Buggy Diner Mystery

By Catherine Friess. Shortlistee of the Best Children’s Picture Book Text competition 2024

Pitch

267-word rhyming introduction to insects, including buggy back matter.

Buggy Diner is buzzing with happy customers until an unpleasant smell pervades the air. Cranefly and Glow-Worm’s attempts to uncover the source of the stink are unsuccessful so Queen Bee phones the fuzz. Can Sergeant Firefly shed light on the situation before all the customers beetle off?

Poo! Is That You? x The Hotel For Bugs

Story

Spread 1

Spider’s slicing sausage. Cricket’s cooking fries.

Water boatman’s washing up. Beetle’s baking pies.

Spread 2

Cranefly’s taking orders. Glow-worm’s at the bar.

Queen Bee welcomes buggy guests. Some look quite bizarre!

Spread 3

Buggy Diner’s buzzing. But what’s that yucky smell?

Onions? Mustard?

Burning soup? Queen Bee just can’t tell.

Continued…