Bug Zoo
Read Aloud for Your Family
Press play, gather the kids, and let the story do the work.
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ABOUT THE CREATORS
About the Author and Illustrator
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
Andy Harkness
Disney art director and children's book author-illustrator who worked on Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-It Ralph.
Andy Harkness
Andy Harkness is an award-winning art director and children’s book author-illustrator. He spent 25 years at Disney, working on films including Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-It Ralph. Bug Zoo is part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios Artist Showcase series. He recently moved to Sony Pictures Animation.
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Wolfboy, Wolfboy Is Scared, Kisses from Space, and Find the Sun. Same warm, playful art style and the same gift for stories that meet kids exactly where they are.
Who This Book Is For
The book is recommended for ages 4 to 8. It works best for the child who has a jar collection in the backyard and needs a gentle nudge toward letting things go. The ending reframes collecting into releasing, and it lands quietly.
What Happens in the Book
Ben loves bugs. Armored bugs, teeny bugs, leggy bugs, greenie bugs, floaty bugs, wingy bugs, jumpy bugs, springy bugs—if it crawls, flits, or skitters, Ben wants to collect it. After a trip to the city zoo, Ben gets the idea to start a bug zoo of his own, right in his bedroom. He fills jar after jar with every insect he can find, and he could not be happier.
But the bugs are not happy. They tap on the glass. They want out. Ben has to make a choice between keeping his collection and letting his tiny friends go. The ending is quiet and gentle: Ben opens the jars and watches his bugs return to the world outside. He still loves bugs—he just loves them better when they are free.
Ben fills his room with jars of bugs, but the bugs have something to say about it.
Who This Book Is For
Ben learns that watching bugs in the wild is better than keeping them in jars.
This book is for any child who has ever brought a jar of lightning bugs inside, or who has stared at a caterpillar for longer than anyone thought possible. It also works for the parent who needs a gentle conversation starter about respecting the small creatures that share our world. The story validates the urge to collect, then guides toward the next step: letting go.
It is especially good for the child who is sensitive to the feelings of animals and who may already suspect that the bugs in the jar are not as happy as the bugs outside. The book meets that suspicion and honors it.
Why It Works for Kids
Andy Harkness brings his Disney animation background to every page. The bugs are drawn with personality and charm—each one distinct, each one quietly asking for freedom. The story is simple enough for a preschooler to follow, but the emotional arc lands for older kids too. Ben’s decision to release his bugs is not framed as a punishment or a loss. It is framed as the next natural step in loving something.
What makes the book special is the restraint. There is no lecture. No adult telling Ben what to do. Ben figures it out by watching his bugs. The reader figures it out the same way. That quiet trust in the child’s own empathy is what makes the ending stick.
Ben realized his bug zoo was happiest when it was not a zoo at all. — Bug Zoo
Learn More About This Book
Official & Community
- Disney-Hyperion (publisher)
- Reviews on Goodreads
- Andy Harkness on Amazon (author page)
- Moana on Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bug Zoo about?
Bug Zoo is about a boy named Ben who loves bugs so much he starts a bug zoo in his bedroom. He fills jars with every insect he can find. But the bugs want out, and Ben has to decide whether to keep his collection or let them go. The book is a gentle story about collecting, empathy, and the freedom of small creatures.
Who wrote and illustrated Bug Zoo?
Both the words and the pictures are by Andy Harkness, an award-winning Disney animator and art director who worked on Moana, Frozen, and Wreck-It Ralph. Bug Zoo is part of the Walt Disney Animation Studios Artist Showcase series.
What age is Bug Zoo best for?
The book is recommended for ages 4 to 8, with a reading level of Pre-K to Grade 2. It works especially well as a read aloud for preschoolers and as an early reader for kindergarteners. The text is short and rhythmic, with about 213 words across 40 pages.
Is Bug Zoo good for read aloud?
Yes. The text is full of bouncing, rhyming descriptions of bugs that are fun to say out loud. The pages are bright and colorful, with plenty to point at and name. The story is short enough for a single sitting and quiet enough to wind down with before bed.
