What do you think?
Rate this book
Super Small: Miniature Marvels of the Natural World
This utterly unique comic-style book for kids 4 to 8 from a bestselling illustrator explores super-small creatures with astounding abilities.
Did you know that some of the smallest creatures on Earth have real-life superpowers?
The minute oribatid mite can lift more than 1,000 times its own weight. A tiny type of salamander (called an axolotl) can regrow body parts. And the almost microscopic tardigrade? It can survive practically anywhere, even in outer space! Acclaimed author Tiffany Stone combines comic panels and poems to share incredible facts about our world's miniature marvels, while illustrator Ashley Spires' zany cartoon-style illustrations make these itty-bitty superheroes (and supervillains) pop from the page.
From glow-in-the-dark sharks to immortal jellyfish and tiny cats with lethal aim, Super Small shows readers that just because you are small, it doesn't mean you aren't super--and sometimes being small can be super in and of itself.
Did you know that some of the smallest creatures on Earth have real-life superpowers?
The minute oribatid mite can lift more than 1,000 times its own weight. A tiny type of salamander (called an axolotl) can regrow body parts. And the almost microscopic tardigrade? It can survive practically anywhere, even in outer space! Acclaimed author Tiffany Stone combines comic panels and poems to share incredible facts about our world's miniature marvels, while illustrator Ashley Spires' zany cartoon-style illustrations make these itty-bitty superheroes (and supervillains) pop from the page.
From glow-in-the-dark sharks to immortal jellyfish and tiny cats with lethal aim, Super Small shows readers that just because you are small, it doesn't mean you aren't super--and sometimes being small can be super in and of itself.
36 pages, Hardcover
Published April 11, 2023
28 people want to read
About the author
Tiffany Stone
22 books15 followersTiffany Stone was born in Quebec and named after one of James Bond’s girlfriends. When she was two, she travelled by train to British Columbia, where she has lived ever since.
Tiffany considers herself a word nerd and proudly admits that when she was young, she and her mum used to look up word origins in the dictionary for fun! Nowadays, she especially enjoys writing poems that rhyme and stories that incorporate plenty of puns.
Meeting a real-live author when she was in Grade 6 inspired Tiffany to pursue her dream of being a writer. And writing her own verse for Dennis Lee’s “Alligator Pie” as a school assignment made her fall in love with poetry. (Her verse was about alligator cake.)
After earning her BFA in Creative Writing at UBC, Tiffany tried out several backup careers, including music academy administrator, bakery prep person (too early!), and veterinary hospital receptionist. She even trained as a hairdresser.
But in 2004, Tiffany’s dream of being an author finally came true. Her published works now include three collections of humorous verse for kids and more than a dozen poems in children’s magazines, as well as poetry on a plaque at a beach and on Vancouver buses. She loves to perform her poems at schools and libraries and sometimes works as a freelance children’s book editor.
Tiffany lives in Whonnock, BC, with her family and many pets. She is constantly inspired by trees.
Tiffany considers herself a word nerd and proudly admits that when she was young, she and her mum used to look up word origins in the dictionary for fun! Nowadays, she especially enjoys writing poems that rhyme and stories that incorporate plenty of puns.
Meeting a real-live author when she was in Grade 6 inspired Tiffany to pursue her dream of being a writer. And writing her own verse for Dennis Lee’s “Alligator Pie” as a school assignment made her fall in love with poetry. (Her verse was about alligator cake.)
After earning her BFA in Creative Writing at UBC, Tiffany tried out several backup careers, including music academy administrator, bakery prep person (too early!), and veterinary hospital receptionist. She even trained as a hairdresser.
But in 2004, Tiffany’s dream of being an author finally came true. Her published works now include three collections of humorous verse for kids and more than a dozen poems in children’s magazines, as well as poetry on a plaque at a beach and on Vancouver buses. She loves to perform her poems at schools and libraries and sometimes works as a freelance children’s book editor.
Tiffany lives in Whonnock, BC, with her family and many pets. She is constantly inspired by trees.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 27, 2024
Super cute and super educational.
May 31, 2023
Combining rhymes with comics, author Stone and illustrator Spires deliver bite-sized profiles of tiny and AMAZING insects, mammals and more.
June 22, 2023
Loved the humor, loved the illustrations, loved the information, thought the rhyming was a little too much.
February 12, 2023
A type of seahorse so good at camouflage that scientists only discovered them by accident when they brought some coral into a lab to study. A jellyfish that can reboot its life cycle. A hummingbird that can fly upside down. What do all of these astounding creatures have in common? They are super small. And they way they are illustrated by the awesome Ashley Spires (The Most Magnificent Thing, Binky the Space Cat, etc.), they are also super cute.
Poetic descriptions of each amazing creature are accompanied by a large scale illustration, then smaller side panels offer a discussion of the super power it possesses. Readers will learn that tardigrades can survive extreme conditions and an Etruscan shrew can eat more than its own body weight in a day. Settings range from hydrothermal vents deep on the ocean floor to the savannahs of Africa and everything in between.
Captivating illustrations work with the multiple layers of text to pull readers in and entice their curiosity. The humor of an axolotl pulling off its own arm to lend a hand to a friend is just one example of why kids will find this book appealing. A sure hit for young readers who are always asking for more books on animals.
Poetic descriptions of each amazing creature are accompanied by a large scale illustration, then smaller side panels offer a discussion of the super power it possesses. Readers will learn that tardigrades can survive extreme conditions and an Etruscan shrew can eat more than its own body weight in a day. Settings range from hydrothermal vents deep on the ocean floor to the savannahs of Africa and everything in between.
Captivating illustrations work with the multiple layers of text to pull readers in and entice their curiosity. The humor of an axolotl pulling off its own arm to lend a hand to a friend is just one example of why kids will find this book appealing. A sure hit for young readers who are always asking for more books on animals.
August 13, 2024
Jokes? Animal superpowers? Biology lessons cleverly wrapped up in poetry? Check, check, and check. I love the variety of animals here, from hydras to tardigrades, each united by their minuscule size. A fun, informational poem introduces each animal, followed by a sidebar boasting their specific superpower. This makes science very accessible and fun!
July 11, 2024
I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. I would recommend this book to any curious Non-Fiction lover in K-3rd. The illustrations are adorable throughout the book and work very well with the text and add a comic-like style to the reading.
October 6, 2024
[2024] Discovered through Poetry In Transit, and I’m so thankful. This is a super cute little collection of poetry - each featuring a different type of animal with biological superpowers. Fun, silly, educational. Loved it.
Want to read
September 9, 2022Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.
July 6, 2024
Super Cute! loved the short tidbits of info about each animal and their strengths!
August 9, 2024
I love the book because I love the AXOLOTL 🩵💜🤍
December 15, 2025
Loved the illustrations and learned so much about new creatures!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews