NATURE'S TINY CHAMPIONS
Dubbing each a “super-small superhero,” the author profiles 20 compact creatures in his main gallery and adds brief cameos for 21 more at the end. Writing informally, he brushes in general observations about each one’s habitat, diet, and distinctive features, then points to what makes each a “champion”— the honeybee is a “champion of teamwork,” for instance, while the reef sea star is a keystone species. For the main set, presented in no particular order but ranging from the gopher tortoise to the microscopic and wonderfully durable water bear (aka tardigrade), Jones supplies both an isolated life-size image with labeled parts and a (usually) larger one in a natural setting. Not all of these animals are “cuddly or colorful,” as the author notes of the cacao-pollinating chocolate midge, but readers who take up his grand invitation to “step into the STADIUM OF THE SMALL” will come away with a deeper appreciation for the often-essential roles many of these mighty mites play in the natural world.


Dubbing each a “super-small superhero,” the author profiles 20 compact creatures in his main gallery and adds brief cameos for 21 more at the end. Writing informally, he brushes in general observations about each one’s habitat, diet, and distinctive features, then points to what makes each a “champion”— the honeybee is a “champion of teamwork,” for instance, while the reef sea star is a keystone species. For the main set, presented in no particular order but ranging from the gopher tortoise to the microscopic and wonderfully durable water bear (aka tardigrade), Jones supplies both an isolated life-size image with labeled parts and a (usually) larger one in a natural setting. Not all of these animals are “cuddly or colorful,” as the author notes of the cacao-pollinating chocolate midge, but readers who take up his grand invitation to “step into the STADIUM OF THE SMALL” will come away with a deeper appreciation for the often-essential roles many of these mighty mites play in the natural world.