Mr. Big

A graphic novel for kids about the cycles of nature: “Appealing to fantasy readers . . . bring[s] to life the world of one small pond.” —Booklist “Spring begins the cycle of life that continues night and day in the pond. Small creatures are born, and some fall prey to Mr. Big, a large common snapping turtle. The fish and frogs tire of losing friends and family to the predations of Mr. Big, so they ask the crows to get rid of him. The crayfish warn that there’s a natural order; if the crows succeed, something worse may come along to take Mr. Big’s place. Even before the crows agree to help, rumors of a giant predator fish begin to circulate. Is the fearsome fish real? Will it fight Mr. Big? Will the crows try to take over? Only Nature knows . . . a graphic novel grounded in the natural world that explains the food chain and pond ecosystems on a middle-grade level . . . With a mix of full-bleed, captioned pages and splashy graphic panels rendered in vibrant natural colors, the struggle against Mr. Big will hold attention while sneakily imparting a science lesson or two.” —Kirkus Reviews “Themes of life, death, and balance within nature run throughout . . . a lavish portrait of a vigorous ecosystem.” —Publishers Weekly