The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures

Covered in earthworm slime and assisted only by her cat and her little brother, Roberta rescues tiny creatures. You know, the ones stranded in the middle of the sidewalk. Upside-down, flopping, or near-frozen.

A lot of the time, that earns her funny looks from kids in school.

But when a swarm of baby spiders finds its way into the classroom, Roberta will save the day with her knowledge and creativity, showing everybody that tiny creatures aren’t so scary after all. They just need friends who rescue and understand them!

Established Roaring Brook Press author Curtis Manley has teamed up with up-and-coming illustrator Lucy Ruth Cummins, creator of Truman and Stumpkin, to present this quirky and adorable picture book.

About the Author

Curtis Manley grew up interested in the birds, raccoons, and deer that lived in the woods near his home in western Pennsylvania. But over the years he began watching smaller things more carefully: tiny creatures with many legs—or no legs at all! His favorites include stripy specks, bumbly bees, and fireflies. Curtis lives near Seattle with his wife, their daughter, and a cat who is not exactly a rescuer of spiders. Visit him at curtismanley.com.

About the Illustrator

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, an illustrator, and art director of children’s books. She wrote and illustrated A Hungry Lion, or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals, and Stumpkin. She is also the illustrator of books by other authors, including Truman by Jean Reidy. When she was nine years old, a bee crawled into her sneaker and stung her but she didn't hold it against the bee. She was born in Montreal, raised in upstate New York, and lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York.