MEET THE MINI-MAMMALS: And a Masterful Creative Team

 Nonfiction picture books can take many forms, and the quality of creative productions varies widely. Author Melissa Stewart is widely acclaimed for the nonfiction books she writes but also for her support of other writers and teachers and families in finding and celebrating nonfiction offerings. She freely recommends works by others as much or more than her own. Anyone who enjoys reading and learning from nonfiction picture books should become familiar with Melissa Stewart.  I've reviewed some of her other books HERE, and HERE. 

When it comes to illustrations for nonfiction books, the range of styles and approaches is wide and effective in a variety of ways. BRIAN LIES is the illustrator of this and other picture books, many of which are intensely realistic while entirely fiction. Whether fiction or nonfiction, the characters/creatures involved are portrayed in their native habitat or holding a pointer and wearing a jacket and gloves, the actual animal details are accurate and revealing of the animals' natural ways-- posture, movement, behaviors, and more. In addition, each creature conveys an inner awareness and something of a  personality, with no attempt to humanize or anthropomorphize the creature/character. Even in fictional stories, the critters carry out their conversations and adventures within a context that retains a sense of their species identities and patterns. Examples of books I've reviewed are HERE and HERE, and HERE.

BEACH LANE BOOKS, 2025

These two talented creators combined their expertise in a new picture book, MEET THE MINI-MAMMALS: A Night at the Natural History Museum.  With the premise of inviting readers into a guided tour of the natural museum department of mini-mamals, Our well-dressed instructor/docent manages to wrangle the living specimens from page to page, though there are occasional spreads in which  a scattering of tails or other clues indicate the need for redirection to their respective displays. 

The text begins with a review of what makes a mammal a mammal, and a presents a challenge to learn more about some tiny mammals that might be less known and respected. Each double spread presents a species in a shadow-box frame-home, along with a bit of straightforward text content. The facing spread provides an image of the critter in its natural setting, including inset facts and comparison to the weight of the typical adult to something that would be more familiar. From matching to an Asian pear or softballs, the comparison objects become progressively smaller, slipping down to mini-marshmallows. 

We, as readers, follow this "tour" to determine which is actually the smallest mammal of all, then to a map room to find their global territories. The closing pages offer brief scientific fact sheets about each of the ten examples shared. What might have been an informative but solely scientific presentation of these same facts takes on a storytelling, collaborative connection with these unique and appealing little mammals, involving the reader as cohorts in a special "club" of sorts. It made me, as a reader, want to enter into their world, to learn more, and to meet their various animal-kingdom cousins. I think it is likely to do the same for you!