From Small to Big: It’s all about Perspective

Remember when you were small? Perhaps you cannot. It’s hard to remember our first few years, but Gina Perry reminds us in Small (little bee books, 2017). It can feel frustrating to be small, to feel small and overlooked, or left out or taken advantage of. Small is a sweet story of a young girl who comes to understand that small is just a word and she can change things up, by taking a different perspective. She can feel BIG.

This book helps young readers who may feel the same as the character in Small, since young children are often told their ‘too little’ …But the young girl’s approach can also be transferred to other feelings a reader may have: feeling happy instead of sad or confident instead of shy. Small empowers our young readers to take control of their feelings. And that’s no small feat to accomplish.

A Book for the Bats

Bat Count: A Citizen Science Story by Anna Forrester and illustrated by Susan Detwiler (Arbordale Publishing, 2017) is a delightful treatise for bats. In the main story we learn of bats’ life cycle and the problem they face with white-nose syndrome. In Arbordale’s signature back section called For Creative Minds, we learn about bat anatomy, ecological importance, details of white-nose syndrome and about citizen science. The information presented is vital to understanding the importance of helping bat populations recover.

What I love best about this book is how the information is presented. Forrester weaves the bat’s story with the story of the main character, Jojo, and her family. This parallel presentation is perfect for helping young readers see how humans are similar and different from other animal life, and also how our lives are connected. Without bats, there would be too many insects. Nature tries to keep a balance; humans tend to disrupt this balance. I am grateful for citizens who keep informed and try to help nature. I am grateful for people who not only want to do less harm to nature, but who want to learn about nature. And I am always grateful for anyone who has thrown away the ‘ew’ factor and embraced the role of each organism in nature.

Forrester has succeeded in giving young readers a gift of the ability to love and respect bats. I am pleased to see that many readers will have a chance to get this gift. Bat Count has been selected as a 2018 National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Children Book Council’s (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Books. I hope you too will give Bat Count and bats a chance.