Harry the Poisonous Centipede's Big Adventure — Lynne Reid Banks

Harry the poisonous centipede is in big trouble. Despite his mother's warnings, he leaves his safe nest-tunnel and finds himself captured by a young Hoo-Min bug collector. Together with his friend George, he's shut into a hard-air prison (a glass jar to you). Even when they escape, many scary and creepy adventures await them: a huge flying swooper, a giant side-runner, even a fall into the no-end puddle (all right then, the ocean). And that's before they meet the Worst Things in the World! Will they make it home before something gets them?