The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Covered in earthworm slime and assisted only by her cat and her little brother, Roberta rescues tiny creatures. You know, the ones stranded in the middle of the sidewalk. Upside-down, flopping, or near-frozen.
A lot of the time, that earns her funny looks from kids in school.
But when a swarm of baby spiders finds its way into the classroom, Roberta will save the day with her knowledge and creativity, showing everybody that tiny creatures aren’t so scary after all. They just need friends who rescue and understand them!
Established Roaring Brook Press author Curtis Manley has teamed up with up-and-coming illustrator Lucy Ruth Cummins, creator of Truman and Stumpkin, to present this quirky and adorable picture book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pale-skinned, red-haired Roberta is intent on rescuing small beings that are stranded or struggling—"Tiny creatures need friends who can rescue and understand them." But her classmates don't understand: "Ms. Williams! Roberta has been picking up worms again!" When their classroom wall is suddenly teeming with baby spiders, the other kids shrink away. But Roberta knows what to do, and with a classmate's help, she organizes a spider rescue—and shows the class that spiders might actually be wondrous beings. Childlike images by Cummins (From Ed's to Ned's) use expressive, charcoal-y lines and bright colors to present information clearly, including the insects Roberta's interested in, how they behave ("The millipede... curled into a spiral when I picked it up"), and how it's possible to take those it's too late to save and look at them under the microscope. This substantive story by Manley (Just Right: Searching for the Goldilocks Planet) is both a STEM tale about insects and a lesson in staying true to oneself, as Roberta's distinctive interest takes her from odd kid out to minor celebrity with a like-minded new friend. Ages 4–8. Author's agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Murphy Literary. Illustrator's agent: Emily van Beek, Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management.
