Kirkus Reviews

Writer and zoologist Davies celebrates the "big, beautiful, complicated pattern" that is life on Earth. Starting with "one, two, three"—a roach, an observant child, and a flowering bush—the narrator then leaps to the concept of "MANY," asking young readers and listeners to think about the many, many kinds of living things that inhabit our planet. The freckle-faced rosy-cheeked white girl who explored the world of microbes in Davies and Sutton's Tiny Creatures (2014) returns to observe creatures large and small living in widely varied habitats. One striking double-page spread shows the rich diversity of a coral reef; the next depicts and labels 31 different species found in just the last 50 years. For the most part these folk-art-inspired, intricate watercolor paintings are placed on a white background that includes a relatively simple narrative for reading aloud and further detail in captions in a smaller, italicized font. After the display of abundance and a reminder that living things depend on each other in complicated ways, the author gently advises us that "human beings are destroying pieces of the pattern…." A pair of spreads show first a lushly populated rain forest and then the same area with some trees cut down and animals leaving; the third in the sequence shows a museum exhibit of extinct species. We can't survive as one. A sobering message presented gloriously. (Informational picture book. 6-10)

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Davies begins her consideration of biodiversity by discussing that there can be many species of one living thing (e.g., two kinds of elephants), and gradually explaining that these many kinds of things can live and interact with one another. Descriptions of the disruptive effects of human activities on the environment stress the importance of protecting biodiversity. Sutton's spectacular illustrations are dense yet delicate, full of color, life, and movement.

ALA Booklist (Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

This companion volume to Davies and Sutton's Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes (2014) celebrates the diversity of life on Earth and the sheer quantity of species (two million identified and thousands more discovered each year) in varied habitats. One double-page spread introduces a few of those found in the last 50 years. Organisms interact in complex ways, forming "a big, beautiful, complicated pattern," but people's actions (pollution, overfishing, deforestation) threaten that pattern. Davies asks kids to consider the animals that are now extinct and to restore the environment that supports living things today. She writes with simplicity and a driving sense of purpose: "we could not keep living on Earth if we had to count down instead of up . . . from MANY to one." While capturing the profusion of varied life-forms in different environments, Sutton's attractive watercolor illustrations often include a girl who stands in for the reader, observing her surroundings and sometimes taking notes. A handsome book that delivers its message within vibrant scenes of the natural world.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

With a streamlined narrative and intricate, folk-art images evoking Mary Blair-illustrated Golden Books, Davies and Sutton, the team behind Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes, sound an alarm about species extinction. Employing the concept of one versus many, the book asks, -How many different kinds of living things are there on our planet?- The answer is -Many!- and busy scenes of flora and fauna showcase an abundance of life across diverse ecosystems. Other spreads resemble pages from a field guide, with labeled vignettes of life forms, such as the SpongeBob fungus. The positive vibe ends, however, with a spread showing the various ways humans are destroying habitats. A redheaded girl-the book-s -tour guide,- who has admired and taken notes on wildlife-appears solo and sad on the last page, with the text warning, -We could not keep living on Earth if we had to count down instead of up from many to one.- Though the conclusion is dire (and no solutions to overpopulation are offered), this early entrée into environmental interconnectedness and stewardship should launch plenty of discussion. Ages 5-8. (Nov.)