Rodent Rascals

Twenty-one representatives of the largest mammalian order pose in this fetching portrait gallery.

Each one depicted, all or in part, at actual size, the rodentine array begins with a pocket-watch–size African pygmy jerboa and concludes with the largest member of the clan, the “sweet-looking capybara.” In between, specimens climb the scale past chipmunks and northern flying squirrels to a Norway rat, porcupine, and groundhog. Despite a few outliers such as the naked mole rat and a rather aggressive-looking beaver, Munro’s animals—particularly her impossibly cute guinea pig—strongly exude shaggy, button-eyed appeal. Her subjects may come across as eye candy, but they are drawn with naturalistic exactitude, and in her accompanying descriptive comments, she often relates certain visible features to distinctive habitats and behaviors. She also has a terrific feel for the memorable fact: naked mole rats run as quickly backward in their tunnels as forward; African giant pouched rats have been trained to sniff out mines; the house mouse “is a romantic. A male mouse will sing squeaky love songs to his girlfriend” (that are, fortunately or otherwise, too high for humans to hear). Closing summaries will serve budding naturalists in need of further specifics about sizes, diets, geographical ranges, and the like.

“Humans are lucky to have rodents,” Munro argues…and makes her case with equal warmth to hearts and minds. (websites, index) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

Writing with warmth and enthusiasm, Munro celebrates the biodiversity of rodents. She introduces 21 rodents in all, ranging from the house mouse to the naked mole rat, and describes each creature with casual wonder: "Bushy-tailed wood rats or pack rats love to collect bright shiny things, such as keys, bottle caps, and jewelry," and the African giant pouched rat can be trained to sniff out land mines and detect tuberculosis in labs. Because the animals are drawn to scale, readers get a clear sense of their relative sizes. The world's largest rodent, a capybara, fills a page with its head and nose alone; the smallest, the pygmy jerboa, occupies just a page corner. Munro blends naturalism with a hint of personality for each rodent, accentuating the positive attributes of an underappreciated group of animals. Ages 6-10. (Feb.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 3-5--Munro's joyful ode to rodents is a refreshing take on these often maligned creatures. The book starts small with the pygmy jerboa and ends big with the capybara. Readers will gain a host of knowledge from the text; the entries on the naked mole rat, prairie dog, and African giant pouched rat contain fascinating information on how these animals survive in their environments or assist humans in complex tasks. The value and cleverness of rodents, particularly as they relate to daily life, are running threads throughout the work. The author also tackles a number of related myths; for example, lemmings "don't really commit suicide by jumping off cliffs into the sea as some say" but rather migrate when forced to by overpopulation. The artwork, created with India ink and colored acrylic inks on paper, is a pleasure to pore over. Illustrations are drawn to scale and skillfully communicate the rodents' physical appearance and hint at their temperament, resulting in an inviting and accurate work. The back matter goes into greater depth for each subject, providing scientific names, average sizes, and more. VERDICT Even the most resistant of readers will fall in love with these rascally rodents. A fine selection for animal collections.--Della Farrell, School Library Journal

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

* Munro's animals—particularly her impossibly cute guinea pig—strongly exude shaggy, button-eyed appeal. Her subjects may come across as eye candy, but they are drawn with naturalistic exactitude, and in her accompanying descriptive comments, she often relates certain visible features to distinctive habitats and behaviors. . . . 'Humans are lucky to have rodents, ' Munro argues...and makes her case with equal warmth to hearts and minds.—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

* Writing with warmth and enthusiasm, Munro celebrates the biodiversity of rodents. . . . Munro blends naturalism with a hint of personality for each rodent, accentuating the positive attributes of an underappreciated group of animals.—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Munro's joyful ode to rodents is a refreshing take on these often maligned creatures. . . . The artwork, created with India ink and colored acrylic inks on paper, is a pleasure to pore over. Illustrations are drawn to scale and skillfully communicate the rodents' physical appearance and hint at their temperament, resulting in an inviting and accurate work. The back matter goes into greater depth for each subject, providing scientific names, average sizes, and more. Even the most resistant of readers will fall in love with these rascally rodents. A fine selection for animal collections.—School Library Journal

* Each creature is beautifully illustrated in actual size, with soft brushstrokes providing excellent details of the rodents' fur and hair, nails, and teeth. . . . The crisp, clear text will make it easy for readers to follow along, with the names of each rodent presented in large colorful text and italicized words defined in a glossary. Further detailed informative paragraphs about each featured rodent follow the main illustrated pages, along with a glossary, resources, a list of related websites for readers to explore, and an index. A fun, unique, and informative addition to all children's nonfiction collections.—Booklist, Starred Review