Size Wise

Rodent Rascals by Roxie Munro

From Tiny to Tremendous - 21 Clever Creatures at their Actual Size

Rodent Rascals instantly captures attention with a cover showcasing a trio of adorable little critters. The subtext reveals that this picture book contains a selection of astonishing facts about some relatively small mammals, all of them rodents. I could reasonably  identify the hamster and the gerbil featured on the cover. However, I wondered about the creature with humongous protruding eyes, strangely long tail, and folded legs which appear longer that its entire body? I puzzled: What is that animal?  I wanted to find out more.
​ I was also captivated by the "actual size" concept. How would Roxie Munro illustrate a book of animals showing true-to-life dimensions within a book approximately 10 1/4 inches wide? I imagined all kinds of possibilities.
​I couldn't wait to discover how she accomplishes this feat.  

This collection of fascinating rodents is arranged by size, beginning with the smallest. I found the answer to my first question on page one. The pygmy jerboa is the world's smallest rodent and possesses extremely long legs. The 1-inch leg and 1/2-inch foot can jump up to 10 feet! Yes indeed. I had my ruler with me, measuring these furry creatures as I moved through the pages. Each image is accompanied by a paragraph of fascinating trivia, not the boring stuff, but the information that kids love to memorize and rattle off. Did you know that chipmunks can collect as many as 165 acorns a day to store for the winter? How about an African giant pouched rat that detect tuberculosis lab samples with a "higher accuracy rate in ten minutes than a human technician can in a whole day." This is the stuff that young trivia enthusiasts thrive on.
Moving on to my second question: How to depict all these animals at actual size? The very clever Munro figured out a way. As the animals become progressively larger, we see parts of the animals, the beavers' webbed feet, a close-up of the capybara head in profile. Each body part is presented at an authentic size.

Readers will want to spend time poring over these pages. Munro manages to give each animal a distinct charm and character without sacrificing anatomical accuracy. For readers like me who have lived a life filled with hamsters and guinea pigs, this book will bring fond memories. The guinea pig has an uncanny resemblance to a class pet named Daphne. I could almost hear her sweet little squeak. For those who have are fascinated by flying squirrels and naked mole rats, this is the book for you. Rodent Rascals is a novel and engaging way to approach nonfiction.

Back matter includes a brief description of each animal pictured with scientific species and genus name for most, body measurements, habitat, and an interesting fact or two.  Additional general information consists of a glossary, an index, and a list of sources and websites.