Beetles vs The Beatles

Hey Kids,

Sometimes the world is full of mysteries. For example, why do we have a bug called a beetle and a band called The Beatles? Is it because The Beatles sing to a beat and the beetles eat beets? I wonder what the story is. You know, I live in a library. I bet I can find out!

First, I’ll look for the dirt on The Beatles (the band). I’ll look at the book How The Beatles Changed the World. It’s really big so it should have a lot of information, and it’s in the biography section, so the information should be true. Oh, snap! Sure enough, on page 35, it explains how The Beatles got their name. What do you know, it is all about their cool beat. Did you know they were also called Johnny and the Moondogs for a while? What other interesting names did they have before deciding on The Beatles?

To explore more about The Beatles (the band), try one of these titles:

Yellow Submarine by Charlie Gardner: Experience one of The Beatles' most fun songs in a picture book form.

Who Were the Beatles? by Geoff Edgers: Learn about the Beatles through this favorite biography series.

Fab Four Friends by Susanna Reich: Combines lyrical prose and illustrations in an introduction to The Beatles, history's best-selling band, that details their ordinary childhoods and musical inspirations amid a backdrop of postwar England.

Beatles Anthology: Continue with Anthologies 2 and 3 to complete your Beatles experience. Learn some lyrics and sing along. 

Next, I’ll try to find the details on beetles (the insect). We have a lot of books about different beetles, but none of them explain why they are called “beetles". I’ll have to look harder. You know, maybe I’ll try the Research and Learn page. In the Gale Power Search, I found an article on beets that says, “Flea beetles make tiny holes in beet leaves” so at least SOME beetles nibble on beets. Further investigation via the dictionary leads me to the conclusion that the word beetle comes from an Old English word that means “bite” (so, it’s not about beets). Goodness. There are so many interesting facts about beetles. Search for more cool facts in one of these books:

Burt the Beetle Doesn't Bite by Ashley Spires: Burt the beetle isn’t strong and he can't run fast. He doesn't even bite. He's more of a hugger, really. But Burt wants more. He wants a superpower.

Bonkers About Beetles by Owen Dave:  Discover information on different types of beetles, including stag beetles, fireflies and wasp beetles.

Bug Lab for Kids by John Guyton 

Bugs in Danger by Mark Kurlansky: Will beetles go extinct? What can we do to help?

And for the ultimate combination of beetles and The Beatles, try listening to The Beat Bugs: Best of Seasons 1 and 2, available on Hoopla. The Netflix original series is about a backyard full of insects learning about the world around them and listening to Beatles covers.

If you need me, I’ll be jamming to I’m "Happy Just to Dance With You".

Bear Hugs,

Thorndyke

References

Pleasant, Barbara. "All about growing beets." Mother Earth News, no. 250, Feb.-Mar. 2012, pp. 66+. Gale In Context: Science, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A289215111/GPS?u=lom_cantonpl&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=b5c3242c. Accessed 21 Mar. 2022.