SMALL BUT MIGHTY

A little call to action.

Common critters like fireflies are presented alongside more-obscure critters like tardigrades in this informational picture book. Illustrations of anthropomorphic animals energetically introduce each topical double-page spread along with eye-catching chunky black headings. The visual composition of each spread is consistent, a design choice that will help younger readers navigate the information but that may also lead to interest loss. Two callout circles anchored in the bottom left and top right corners offer a fun fact and an “actual size” comparison, respectively. Choices of common items like a crayon to describe the actual size of a millipede offer an opportunity for children and their grown-ups to gather the objects for further understanding. The bottom-left fun fact threatens to compete with the brief introduction of each animal. Several paragraphs of information on each recto are paired with a realistic graphic of each animal. The information about honeybees, krill, and reticulated glass frogs calls out climate change as a challenge, while least weasels and termites are connected to their larger ecosystems as helpers. The take-home message reminds children that they and their actions matter even if the world makes them feel small. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A climate-conscious celebration of some small, helpful creatures of the world.