top of page
Santiago: True Tales of a Little Bug in a Big World
The award-winning real-life story of a little bug with a big appetite for adventure. And his neighbors.
A wild animal raised by humans, Santiago the praying mantis navigates all the challenges of growing up in an alien world and finding his place in it while also trying to understand the world's most confusing species - human beings.
A touching book for all ages, full of humor and heart (and quite a few interesting scientific facts!), this book is a beautiful reminder that small doesn't mean insignificant, and that friendship comes in all shapes and sizes.
187 pages with photographs
6.5 x 9
Published in 2019 by Late Shift Media (publishing division)
Children's Literature
Click here to buy directly from the publisher
To order from retailers, click on the links below (as a note, we highly recommend supporting local and going through our site or Indiebound):
Indiebound
Amazon
Kindle
​
Praise and Awards for Santiago
A Moonbeam Children's Book Award Winner!!!
"Overall, a very cute book for all ages! This can be a great classroom book or summer read for anyone, but especially those curious about the insect world or mantis lovers!"
-Teresa Crider
Click for full review
​
​
"Vitanzo's story of Santiago is about a praying mantis's life as told through his own voice. This is a hilarious and touching tale of the animal's life cycle. Snippets of information are dotted throughout the book as are photographs that will help entertain younger readers, but older readers will find Santiago both entertaining (especially discussing farts) and educational without it being too "school"."
- Theresa Grabs
​
​
"Santiago: True Tales of a Little Bug in a Big World is a clever and delightful read. I highly recommend it for children and adults alike. The illustrations, informational text boxes, and photographs were a great addition to the book, and I really enjoyed them... I found the unique perspective to be very entertaining to read and I think it will make many readers stop to think about some of the absurdity of human life, and how special some of the smallest lives can be. The tone of the book and the topics kept me engaged and reading long after I should have gotten up to do other things, but it was so worth it. I am adding this to my daughter's summer birthday gift and I think she will love it just as much as I did, if not more."
- Sharon the Librarian
To read the full review, click here.
​
​
bottom of page