Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 12/02/2024 Meticulously painted acrylic and colored pencil spreads by Caldecott Honoree Lies give outsize visual impact to this look at tiny mammals. On the cover, a ferret sporting a bow tie and a formal jacket politely pulls aside a red velvet curtain. "You probably already know a lot about BIG mammals like elephants and hippos and giraffes," the narrator explains, which is why "this exhibit celebrates small." Offering visual context, the introductory spread pictures a tiny hedgehog next to an elephant’s massive foot. After defining the word mammal, Stewart (Thank You, Moon) dives into a lively survey, each spread of which views a mini-mammal in close-up on the verso ("Hello, Japanese dwarf flying squirrel!") with a recto-side view of the animal in its habitat (it "weighs about the same as a small Asian pear"). Nine more mammals of diminishing size are introduced until, at last, readers arrive at the smallest mammal of all ("A Kitti’s hog-nosed bat weighs a little less than four mini marshmallows"). Alongside the gallery of dramatic close-ups, factoid-filled text provides a jumping-off place for conversations about survival and habitat. "Mini-Mammal Small Stats" conclude. Ages 4-8. Illustrator’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (Mar.) - Copyright 2024

School Library Journal - 12/13/2024 PreS-Gr 3—What are the smallest mammals? That's what this interesting and engaging picture book aims to find. An elegantly attired black-footed ferret serves as a guide to all the smallest mammals. After a short introduction of what makes an animal a mammal, each small mammal is given a spread depicting its actual size, its weight compared to common objects, and other interesting facts. Vivid illustrations show every animal in a picture frame scaled to show its actual size as well as the animals moving around in their native habitat. One page shows a galago, which weighs about the same as a softball; young readers will be fascinated by the fact that galagos spray urine on their feet to help them grip branches. At the end of the book, a map shows the habitat range of each animal as well as additional information about them. VERDICT Teachers and librarians will be able to use this as a mentor text for research projects; young readers and their families will love poring over the pictures and telling friends about the new facts they've learned. A must-have for any elementary library.—Debbie Tanner - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.