What's Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? (Wells of Knowledge Science Series)

Product Description A pygmy shrew is small―it's among the littlest mammals! A ladybug is even smaller, but it hardly seems tiny when you compare it to a protozoa! And there are many things smaller still―so small that we can see them only with a microscope. Would you believe there are particles that are so tiny that we can't measure their exact size? Explore the huge world of the very small! From School Library Journal Grade 3-4?In this presentation that goes from small to infinitesimal, Wells compares the size of a tiny animal (a pygmy shrew) to an insect (a ladybug), which is in turn contrasted with one-celled animals, bacteria, molecules, atoms, and sub-atomic particles. Bright, colorful cartoons and a text that looks like hand lettering in a variety of fonts are jauntily arranged across the pages. Readers are encouraged to try to imagine being the sizes of the creatures under discussion. This lighthearted treatment is fine for the familiar, but begins to become confusing for a paramecium, an amoeba, and bacteria. Viruses are skipped as the narrative continues to include molecules, atoms, quarks, and electrons of the physical sciences instead of a parallel journey through diminishing sizes in the animal world to perhaps ovum, sperm, and DNA. The book has the look of an introduction for young readers. As the narrative continues, however, many terms are introduced, without pronunciation guides even in the two-page glossary, and the cartoon approach becomes cluttered and less effective.?Frances E. Millhouser, Reston Regional Library, VA Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review 1996 CBC/NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book "This lighthearted look at size features engaging pen and acrylic illustrations and a clear, informative text. The pygmy shrew is a good choice for a guide through the world of the very small."―The Horn Book Guide "The acrylic-and-ink artwork includes touches of humor…Wells introduces a challenging concept in a way that will entertain and intrigue young children."―Booklist From the Inside Flap A pygmy shrew is among the tiniest of mammals. A ladybug is even smaller. But in this book you will find small things you could not ordinarily see. About the Author Robert E. Wells is the author and illustrator of many intriguing and award-winning science books for children, including Can You Count to a Googol? and Why Do Elephants Need the Sun? He lives with his wife in Wenatchee, Washington.