Alongside black cats and spiders, bats are easily one of the most Halloween-y animals around, but despite having a reputation of being a little bit spooky, these flying creatures are actually super helpful and often very cute too. In Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat by Tracy C. Gold we meet a baby bat heading out to catch some dinner on Halloween.

As she flies through the night sky, this adorable little bat finds fireflies, moths, beetles, crickets, and other tasty snacks to feast upon. Her version of trick or treating looks (and tastes) a little different from ours—my son would be horrified at the idea of collecting bugs instead of candy while out trick or treating, and I’m sure your kids would be too—but she has just as much fun and ends up just as full of delicious treats by the end of the night. The final few pages teach little ones some interesting facts about bats; for instance, did you know that a single bat can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes per hour?! I didn’t and now I’m keen to make my home much more bat-friendly in the future to encourage some more spooky, flying friends to take up residence here.

As well as being a fun story that’s ideal for Halloween, Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat will help young readers learn not to be afraid of bats and to understand better why we need to look after them in our local environments.

Cute book for youngsters! Fun Halloween read with engaging pictures to gelp with the story. Perfect book to get in the holiday spirit

Great illustrations and fun rhymes

This is a sweet rhyming book about a bat’s eating adventures on Halloween. The first part of the book is a rhyming story about the bat, and that is followed by informational pages about bats. The illustrations are very well done and engaging. My kids loved looking at all the animals in the pictures. My son really enjoyed reading the facts at the end and learning about bats.

Overall, my kids enjoyed the book. I found some of the rhymes clunky and difficult to read aloud. I am giving this book 3 stars.

This is a sweet Halloween book for young kids. It’s about a sweet bat looking for bugs to eat. It’s a short rhyming book that kids are sure to enjoy. The illustrations are fun and vibrant too.

I LOVED this children's book because it's almost like a two-in-one. The first (and main) part of the book is a cute Halloween story about a bat who eats bugs set to the classic "trick or treat, smell my feet" song. There are 5 full pages at the end with bat facts that are completely illustrated and filled with informative text. The illustrations are stylized and great as well.

Thank you to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

"Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat" by Tracy C. Gold, with pictures by Nancy Leschnikoff is an engaging rhyming book, that uses a Halloween night setting to share facts about the most misunderstood of mammals: bats. The book mostly focuses on the different kinds of insects that one cute purple bat likes to snack on. In addition the rhyming text describes the process by which bats "see". An informational section at the back of the book describes different types of bats and where they live, as well as how they contribute postively to the ecosystem. This book is great for pre-school and kindergarten age students, particularly those who might have a fear of bats. Consider adding this accessible nonfiction text to your Halloween book displays.

We have an extensive collection of children’s Halloween books, and I am hard pressed to find any new books that are worth adding to it. Tracy Gold’s Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat is an exception to that rule. The story follows a young bat on Halloween, following a lyrical prose reminiscent of childhood. The illustrations add to the story with beautiful colors and cute drawings. Even better, the book introduces bat facts, which as a scientist I absolutely loved seeing.

Our youngest, at seven years old, is above the target age range, but she still thought the book was adorable and liked reading it with me. This is definitely going on the list to send to niblings.

This book is so adorable! We loved the fun rhyming in the beginning and the bonus bat facts at the end! The illustrations in this kid’s book are perfect! Cute, fun and colorful… these pictures will enhance the reader’s experience and are sure to keep young ones coming back again and again for rereads!

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. The illustrations are really sweet, and it's nice to find a book with some facts about bats (such maligned creatures) for kids. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat by Tracy C Gold is an adorable Halloween story that also teaches young children about bats. First of all, the illustrations are so cute. The bats are ridiculously enchanting and just beautifully drawn. The book tells how bats are good because they eat bugs. I even learned that a single bag can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in one hour. Amazing! The book also tells a little about where bats live, how bats have thumbs, and echolocation. Overall, this was a sweet book that is informative and I feel young readers will enjoy looking at the illustrations while they learn about bats.

This was a cute Halloween book. I know the title talked about bugs to eat and had a bat but the book did focus more on eating bugs than I expected. Kids are probably going to love it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat is a sweet, engaging book that also teaches about bats using the cutest bat illustrations! I loved the teaching pages at the end showing the many benefits bats provide!

I was drawn to this book for the adorable artwork on the cover (which continues throughout). The delightful bat from the cover takes the reader on a Halloween journey through the many bugs he finds for a midnight snack -- yum yum!

The story is told in rhymes, and the book concludes with several facts about the bats found in North America. The book mentions that bats eat the bugs that bite you and that children should thank them for helping, which is a great way to teach children not to be afraid of bats.

Readers will also learn a little about echolocation, bats' dark living spaces, and bat anatomy (they have thumbs like us!).

Recommended for all readers, especially children who love Halloween and/or animals.