Nicola Davies is a zoologist and an award-winning author
whose many books for children include Surprising Sharks, Extreme
Animals, and Gaia Warriors. She lives in Wales.
Emily Sutton has a degree in illustration from Edinburgh
College of Art. She says, “Illustrating Tiny Creatures has opened
my eyes to the incredible and unexpected beauty of a world so small
that it can’t be seen without a microscope. I was amazed by the
variety and complexity of microbes, and I loved drawing all of
their intricate details and patterns.” She lives in York, England.
By the end of the book, Davies and Sutton have beautifully made the
case that microbes are “the invisible transformers of our world —
the tiniest lives doing some of the biggest jobs.” Both Davies’s
tone and the charming retro-ish watercolor illustrations by Sutton
seem likely to please young children by balancing repetition and
flights of fancy.
—The New York Times
Davies here presents examples of microbial life and the work that
microbes do. This experienced science communicator makes an
immediate connection to her readers, using their prior knowledge of
big whales and small ants to convey how tiny microbes can be. ...
Sutton’s watercolor illustrations support and enhance the text.
Thoughtful book design adds to the appeal, with generous white
space, illustrative vignettes as well as paintings that fill a page
or a spread, and an unusually legible type. This will show well
when read aloud and intrigue emergent readers. Very little
information is available for this age group about these microscopic
creatures, making this an especially welcome introduction.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Simply written and concise... Reminiscent of the Provensens’
artwork in its combination of formal structure and amiable tone,
Sutton’s large-scale illustrations help children to visualize
microorganisms and processes that are too small to see. The
sequence of simple images illustrating multiplying microbes is
quite effective. A handsome and rewarding picture book about the
power of “tiny creatures.”
—Booklist (starred review)
Davies’s writing is straightforward but not dry; in fact, she puts
the scale and numbers of microbes into fascinating contexts. ...
Sutton’s folk-art illustrations are rendered in earthy tones on
creamy paper and feature two smiling kiddos and a winsome cat,
making for a warm visual presentation (who’d have thought a
paramecium could be pretty?). This really is an enjoyable
beginner’s look at these miniscule organisms and the effect they
can have on everything from our bodies to the soil to the clouds in
the sky.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
A straightforward narrative packed with comparisons sheds light on
“the invisible transformers of our world,” while clever, inviting
watercolors help put those comparisons into context. Sutton’s
paintings, reminiscent of mid 20th-century children’s book art with
their subtle hues and naïve styling, lend a nostalgic, almost cozy
feel to the pages. ... Davies and Sutton illuminate the world of
germs, fermenters, and composters in a charming, succinct
package.
—Publishers Weekly
Davies introduces a likely brand-new—and immediately
intriguing—concept to young readers: that there are vast quantities
of living things (microbes) that are smaller than the eye can see.
She does it not with dull lists of Latin terms and classification
charts but instead through creative, easy-to-relate-to analogies,
and itchy-but-cool facts about the microbes that live on and in us.
An emphasis on scale, particularly size and quantity, helps
children grasp the abstract concepts... The tone is light and
inquisitive yet also scientifically precise, covering topics such
as the shape and variety of microbes, their function, and
reproduction.
—The Horn Book
Using well-drawn pictures and simple, scientific text readers see
microbes up close in their stunning variety of shapes and sizes.
Two young children accompany this microbe journey, providing a
backdrop of our world where microbes are constantly in action. This
book is a wonderful introduction to the microscopic world of
microbes.
—Library Media Connection
Simple descriptions and comparisons help explain this group of
organisms... The colorful examples and vivid explanations help
bring this unseen world to life. ... The figures, in a retro
autumnal palette on cream matte pages, have a charming naïveté.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Nicola Davies imparts a sense of wonder at the variety and
abundance of near-invisible life-forms in “Tiny Creatures: The
World of Microbes," which owes its appeal as much to Emily Sutton’s
beautiful, slightly old-fashioned illustrations as to the author’s
clear and simple writing.
—The Wall Street Journal
For curious minds and budding scientists, this introduction makes
the giant job of minuscule microbes understandable and
fascinating.
—Shelf Awareness for Readers
This book makes the invisible familiar and provides a foundation
for a friendly, not adversarial, relationship between tiny people
and tiny creatures.
—Science
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