Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Adventures of Hector Fuller: Hector Springs Loose
Illustrator: Pamela R. Levy
Fiction Series
For ages 6 to 9
Simon and Schuster, 2004 ISBN: 978-0689864148
Hector Fuller is a wumblebug who is happy to have a quiet sort of life, a not very active and pleasantly domestic sort of life. Best of all the round little insect likes spending time in his very comfortable and well appointed little home. At least he does until the day when the flea circus moves in. Suddenly and with no warning, the flea circus takes over his delightful hole in the ground and Hector Fuller has no choice but to move out and seek a new home elsewhere.
Soon Hector is out in a spring filled world, in search of a new home. He meets a snail and a caterpillar, and he has a most distressing encounter with a hummingbird. Hector sincerely begins to wonder if he made the right decision leaving his home. After all, the world is full of dangers and unknowns. On the other hand back at home the place was full of fleas and he was allergic to fleas. There is nothing for it - Hector must press on.
Hector makes many discoveries as he searches for a new home and with him we learn about the miniature wonders of the natural world. We share the experience of repairing a hummingbird nest with thistledown and spiders web, and we can laugh when hector tries to skim across the pond using water bubbles under his wings to hold him up - the way the water boatmen beetles do.
This delightful adventure tale about a bug who is looking for home and self is sure to amuse and delight young readers. It is not only a highly engaging story, but it also provides the reader with a multitude of little pictures of the natural world and the wonderful scenes and creatures that can be found within it.
