Six Little Sticks - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Maria Marshall
4 days ago
3 min read

Combining counting, adding, and subtracting with concise text and enticing illustrations, this book provides a fun introduction to stick bugs and a perfect read for interactive snuggles.

Book cover - six little walking sticks perch about on blades of grass.

Six Little Sticks

Author: Tiffany Stone

Illustrator: Ruth Hengeveld

Publisher: Greystone Kids ( May 6, 2025)

Ages: 0-6

Informational Fiction

Themes:

Counting, hide-and-seek, and stick bugs.

Synopsis:

This charming search-and-find picture book helps young kids practice counting and subtracting and is a fascinating introduction to the unique world of stick bugs!

Meet Mama stick bug and her six little sticks.

Mama’s going to teach them how to hide

so six little sticks stay safe outside.

But when Mama counts her little ones, she can find only five. When she tries again, there are just four. Each time Mama counts, one more stick bug is gone! It seems the six little sticks are already experts at hide-and-seek. Can you help Mama spot them?

Perfect for readers ages 0-6, Six Little Sticks features:

Fascinating facts about stick bugs and other insects throughout the text

An engaging introduction to counting and subtracting

This engaging search-and-find book for young children features playful text by Tiffany Stone and charming illustrations by Ruth Hengeveld. At the back of the book you’ll also find stick bug facts as well as a list of other insects to spot!

Opening Lines:

Mama stick bug.

And her six little sticks.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What I Loved about this book:

This is a really fun book for the littlest readers. Concise, minimal text combines with interesting, sweet, smiling stick bugs to create a playful way to explore math and camouflage in nature. The green and brown, delicate, watercolor and pencil illustrations do a great job of imbuing this stick bug family with separate personalities. Ruth Hengeveld's use of a special item - a pinwheel, slingshot, lantern, pear, binoculars, and crayons - for each little stick bug helps individualize them and adds a splash of color.

Internal spread - on the left mam stickbug on a branch. On the right, six little stick bugs rest on branches and leaves with their favorite items - pinwheel, binoculars, wagon, crayons, lantern, pear, and a slingshot.

Text © Tiffany Stone, 2025. Image © Ruth Hengeveld, 2025.

Mama stick bug begins teaching her little bugs how to hide, so they'll "stay safe outside." But just as she starts, Mama's 'lost' one little bug. She only has five stacked on her back, along with their special items. An observant young reader will notice the hint of the lantern hanging on a branch to help them find the missing sixth little stick bug.

Internal image - on the left, a stick bug hides along a branch, with it's lantern hanging nearby as a hint. On the right, Mama stick bug gazes ina mirror as five little stick bugs and their special items stack on her back.

Counting, adding, and subtracting, Mama stick bug happily moves through their forest home - full of swings, ladders, and other items kids will find familiar - as one after another her little bugs meld into their surroundings. Whether little readers just enjoy the fun illustrations and counting or have fun trying to find all the hiding stick bugs, this will be a great book for exploring during snuggle time. Fortunately, the little stick bugs aren't hiding too far away from their favorite things.

Internal spread - on the left, four little bugs hide near their binoculars, slingshot, pear, and lantern. On upper right, two little bugs hide near their crayons and pinwheel. On the lower right, Mama stick bug interacts with a yellow lady beetle.

Once the little bugs are all hidden, there's just one thing left to do. Mama stick bug joins twenty of their friends and family for a game of hide-and-seek. A fun challenge for budding bug and puzzle lovers. The interesting back matter offers "Six Little Facts About Stick Bugs," and information on "Six More Tricky Critters," along with an invitation to back and find them in the book. This is a wonderful book introducing stick bugs and playing with early math concepts.

Resources:

make your own stick bug family. Can you help them hide outside or inside? Maybe have a friend or family member try to find them.

use your own stick bugs to play with counting, adding, and subtracting.

look around outside. Do you see any bugs, birds, or other animals hiding?

If you missed my interview with Tiffany Stone on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.