Review by Booklist Review
This creative book (originally from France) transports readers into the hidden world of microorganisms in a variety of settings. A large illustration shows a magnified version of the tiny creatures in each setting on a full spread, with some numbered. A flap provides an overview of the setting and its creatures. Opening the flap reveals identifying labels and brief paragraphs about each numbered creature, emphasizing the hidden nature of the microscopic world. Appendices on microscopes and classification add depth. A glossary, index, brief source list, and authors' note round out the back matter. Though creative, the book is not perfect: magnification is noted without being fully explained, and the numbers in the illustrations can be challenging to locate. In addition, many of the tiny creatures recur on multiple pages without new information, making those parts somewhat repetitive. Despite these minor flaws, the book successfully and attractively illuminates microscopic worlds for readers to discover but beware the sections that zoom in on microorginisms residing in the bed, kitchen, and human skin. They can't be unseen!--Miriam Aronin Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Microscopic environments thrive, hidden from human view. The strange creatures that populate these tiny realms are the focus of the 10 fold-out spreads in this book, each illustrating a specific habitat, from the surface of the skin ("Attack of the Skin Snackers") to the depths of the sea ("A Parade of Ocean Floor Monsters"). A concise text block on a fold-out flap sets the scene for Laverdunt's zoomed-in, teeming depictions of invisible worlds--"Among the fibers of your bedsheets, a jungle of microscopic fungi has grown up." On the flap's reverse side, a numbered key matches Rajcak's brief, informative identifications of assorted protozoa and micro-animals to the illustration; each spread also includes a scale to help readers understand relative sizes. Supplemental materials include information on microscopes and microorganism classification, alongside a glossary, index, and selected sources. The book's not quite as neat as peering through a microscope, but it's close. Ages 7--11. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--7--Microscopic creatures are everywhere; they roam the ocean, live on our skin, and hide in our food. (Think jaw worms that consume fungus, bacteria in the ocean, and flour mites in our kitchen cabinets.) This title explores microscopic animals in 10 distinct habitats. The slightly oversize format pairs well with the illustrations that cover each two-page spread in its entirety. Each spread has an additional foldout component that introduces the habitat and further explains the creatures depicted in the illustration. The scale for each environment being portrayed is indicated, as is the amount of magnification. The truly masterly illustrations are colorful, with meticulous attention to detail; they succeed in being both otherworldly and rooted in scientific fact. Rajcak also includes a history of the microscope and how it works, a section on microorganism classification, and a helpful glossary. VERDICT This title is a work of art recommended for readers curious about the microscopic world that exists everywhere, from the ocean floor to our beds. Recommended for all libraries.--Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
All manner of tiny living things are introduced in this generously sized French import.Organized by habitat, each of 10 double-page spreads includes an extra foldout, on which is printed a clever heading and a lyrical introduction. The flap also holds an inset drawing that includes a magnified detail, which is further enlarged on the double-page spread. Here, detailed ink drawings filled with color allow readers to see the tiniest of creatures magnified by as many as 120 times. The conversational text beneath the foldout describes the numbered creatures in the art, offering facts and vocabulary words galore. Cross-referencing is used frequently; tardigrades, for example, appear in a patch of beach sand as well as a tuft of moss. Among the creepier illustrations is the 55x rendition of microscopic beasts in "The Miniature Jungle of Your Bed," in which light-gray, louselike dust mites march across the enlarged, lavender fibers of a bedspread even as somewhat larger, different mites prey on them. A female of this latter mite carries a dozen babies on her back while several males busily inject into prey "fluid that paralyzes them and liquifies their insides." An accessible preface and backmatter emphasize the importance of microbes and introduce both taxonomy and the history of microscopes. Ironically, some of the type could use magnification, which readers will need to provide. Quiet humor balances the ick factor.Microbes rock! (glossary, index, selected sources) (Nonfiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
