Tiny Monsters by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Subtitle: The strange creatures that live on us, in us, and around us.

"Be warned: after meeting some of these tiny monsters, you may never look at your cereal, your pillow, or your eyelashes in quite the same way."

Another impressive outing by a popular pair.  Kirkus

Books like this are so special and intriguing and are sure to greatly appeal to young readers. Yes it is true you can Google anything today but this book will take you so much further and all in one easy to access and very appealing format.

The 'monsters' in this book are fascinating but also slightly nauseating. You are sure to grimace when you read about the pork tapeworm, bedbugs and the bluebottle fly. Maggots of these last ones are found in dead animals. There are twenty-four creatures in this book.

My favourite micro creature is the tardigrade probably because they are survivors and some were even sent into space.

Image Source: Science 4 fun

Every page has a a brief text, huge illustrations and a scale diagram. Are you curious about the monsters  in your pillow? It's the house dust mite. They feed on our dead skin cells. Other monsters that feed on humans are bedbugs, the chigger and the eyelash mite. None of these will worry you too much but you probably don't want to be attacked by head lice or a tick. Nor do you want to be infected by a hookworm - they can cause serious health issues. 

The result is every bit the tour of stinging hairs, humongous eyes, and sucking mouthparts that people who cringe at creepy-crawlies may fear but grossout fans will enjoy. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Jenkins and Page keep their audience riveted with shiver- and itch-inducing pages and fascinating trivia: the tardigrade "can live for 30 years without eating or drinking"; the marine scale worm lives near "volcanic vents on the sea floor." Meanwhile, the cut- and torn-paper collage illustrations highlight creatures that, when enlarged to a visible size, are more intriguing than sinister--the wonderful detail simply demands a thorough and close inspection. Shelf Awareness

Book seller blurb: Some of these monsters are so tiny that they were barely recognised, even by scientists, until the invention of the electron microscope. Although they may seem like aliens from another planet, these miniscule creatures live right alongside us. And just about all of them are harmless - and some are even helpful! In his signature cut- and torn-paper style, Steve Jenkins shows readers that - seen up close - these pesky critters are as fantastic looking as any creature on Earth. This Caldecott Honor-winning duo also uses informational graphics and diagrams to demonstrate just how big the critters are, where they live, and how many there might be in your home right this second!

It would be great to ask your students to think about the title of this book. The late Steve Jenkins could have used micro monsters for example. Steve Jenkins died in 2022 - read more here.