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.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

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

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

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