Meet the Mini-Mammals
A Night at the Natural History Museum
![Meet the Mini-Mammals](https://melissa-stewart.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bk_meet_the_mini-mammals_260px.jpg)
by Melissa Stewart
illustrated by Brian Lies
Beach Lane / Simon & Schuster, 2025
for ages 5–9
ISBN 978–1‑66594–7‑169
Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com.
Big mammals like elephants, hippos, and giraffes get a lot of press, but what about the little critters? From pint-sized flying squirrels to itty bitty mouse lemurs, learn all about the mini-est mammals from around the world, depicted at their real-life size. Delightful illustrations and lively text perfect for read alouds combine in this adorable and informative picture book from Sibert Honoree Melissa Stewart and Caldecott Honoree Brian Lies.
![illustration copyright Brian Lies for Meet the Mini-Mammals](https://melissa-stewart.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/il_meet_the_mini-mammals_brian_lies_700px.jpg)
Behind the Book
“In 2019, I was struggling to come up with a topic for a new book, so I asked my husband, Gerard, what he thought I should write about. He gave a one-word answer: “Munchkins!”
That made me laugh. Munchkins, or mini-munchkins, is a collective name we use for our five nieces and nephews — Iris, Colin, Emile, Claire, and Caroline.
In the past, I’ve written books inspired by all of them, so Gerard’s answer was just a joke. But it made me think. The world is full of animals that are small and adorable, and kids would probably like to know more about them.
Then I wondered … how would I choose animals to include? Since I’m a mammal (and so are my young readers), that seemed like the obvious choice. I decided to countdown twenty adorable mammals smaller than the width of my hand — 8.25 inches. Then I dug into the research.
The final book is a whole lot different from my initial vision, but it wouldn’t exist without that smart-alecky suggestion from my husband.”
![Meet the Mini-Mammals](https://melissa-stewart.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bk_meet_the_mini-mammals_260px.jpg)
by Melissa Stewart
illustrated by Brian Lies
Beach Lane / Simon & Schuster, 2025
for ages 5–9
ISBN 978–1‑66594–7‑169
Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com.