Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes

Zoologist and children's author Davies (Outside Your Window) adds another book about the natural world to her extensive repertoire as she introduces microbes to readers. 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 naive styling, lend a nostalgic, almost cozy feel to the pages. In one spread, smiling, waving people in a skyline full of towering buildings illustrate the idea that "A single drop of seawater can hold twenty million microbes. That's about the same as the number of people in New York State." Another spread contains circular vignettes like petri dishes under a microscope, each with a different microbe: "Some are skinny. Some have wiggling tails. Some look like daisies." An apparent brother-sister duo appear throughout--getting stomachaches, gardening--to demonstrate the connection between these ubiquitous microbes and human life. Davies and Sutton illuminate the world of germs, fermenters, and composters in a charming, succinct package. Ages 5-8. (Aug.)

Gr 2-4--A pleasant, picture book-style look at a rather icky topic: microbes, the teeny tiny critters that live on us and in us and everywhere around us, with an impact that belies their minute size. Davies's writing is straightforward but not dry; in fact, she puts the scale and numbers of microbes into fascinating contexts. For instance, to make the millions of microbes on an ant's antenna visible, the antenna would have to be enlarged to the size of a whale. 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.--Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR