  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 02/01/2018 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 02/15/2018 *Starred Review* Did you know there are about 110 species of gerbils? Or that the African giant pouched rat can sniff out dangerous abandoned land mines? Twenty-one amazing rodents with incredible talents and unique features are the focus of this fun and informative title. Each creature is beautifully illustrated in actual size, with soft brushstrokes providing excellent details of the rodent’s fur and hair, nails and teeth. Informative paragraphs accompany each rodent and provide interesting details about their size, home, talents, and habits. Readers young and old will be amazed at the many different varieties, sizes, and talents described, and will undoubtedly want to seek out further information about the intelligent creatures included, perhaps even those rodents not included in the book. The crisp, clear font will make it easy for readers to follow along, with the names of each rodent presented in a large, colorful font, 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. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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