ALA Booklist (Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

Kinser's debut asks whether something small can matter, and offers examples of when tiny features make a big difference to an animal. In the main body of the book, one creature is examined per double-page spread, with the verso showing a close-up, full-color image of the animal and listing the feature being highlighted. Each recto shows a color image from an SEM (scanning electron microscope) of the tiny body part water glider's leg hairs that keep it from sinking, for example, or the tiny "curvy spines" on a cat's tongue. These pictures offer lots of "can you guess?" opportunities for parents reading with children, and the last spread provides a more detailed (but still accessible) explanation of the relevant science. Kinser also discusses and diagrams how an SEM works. STEM-interested children will find this a fun introduction to the unseen world, and those doing reports on snails, sharks, butterflies, toucans and other birds, snakes, water striders, bees, cats, cicadas, and geckos will find that the information here, though brief, gives their assignment that extra something.

Kirkus Reviews (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Sharks can swim speedily and birds can fly because of physical structures too minuscule to see.Electron-microscope images accompany simple text observations about the importance of unseen, tiny attributes in the physiology of 11 animals: sea snail, shark, blue morpho butterfly, bird, snake, water strider, honeybee, cat, cicada, toucan, and gecko. (Specific species aren't identified for the shark, bird, or snake.) Aspects of strength (tensile and hardness), speed, color, agility, and cleanliness and protection are attributed to fibers and bumps that are invisible to the eye but amazing at very high levels of magnification. Close-up, lower-magnification photos of each animal are also included. A photo of what is presumably a gecko's foot, highly magnified, is one of the best, though it appears on an introductory page and not with the nanoscale microscopic image of the gecko's bristly toes. The backmatter yields some good information and adds factual substance to this visual sampling of microscopic discoveries in biology—a paragraph of explanation for each creature expands on the earlier text; "nanoscale" is defined with an accompanying graph; and the scanning electron microscope is briefly described. Photos are attributed to stock libraries. The "wow" factor in seeing variations in animal adaptations revealed through electron microscopy is compelling.A solid invitation to find out more. (Nonfiction. 4-9)

School Library Journal (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Gr 2-5 Readers are invited to zoom in on the anatomical parts of 11 different creatures, from sea snail teeth to gecko toes. On each spread, the verso shows a large photograph of the animal being discussed. The recto offers a close-up. A fuzzy honeybee is depicted exploring a flower, and then the hairs on its eyes are magnified to wondrous results, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). A cat licks itself, and its tongue is shown covered in curvy spines. Facts are brought up concisely; very few sentences are used throughout the book. The beautiful photographs add reader appeal. The SEM is fully explained, as is the term nanoscale . Animal components such as shark skin, butterfly wings, toucan beaks, and water strider legs are further explained after the main text. VERDICT An engaging look at microscopic parts of familiar animals. Recommended. Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI