Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter by Jamie Michalak, Kelly Murphy
Published by Candlewick Press on July 6, 2021
ISBN: 1536203947
Pages: 32
Genres: Adventure, Animals
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

When the museum closes, there is a tiny creature running all over looking for and collecting tiny treasures. It’s Dakota Crumb, a mouse who loves to explore and collect. Dakota is looking for one special treasure on her map, but she gets distracted along the way by all the treasures the humans have left behind. At the end of the story, it’s clear what Dakota is doing — she has a museum of her own! Her tiny museum is visited by other tiny creatures: bugs, rodents, birds, and they all love what she’s collected and created.

This is a fun and unique story. There isn’t a clear moral message, maybe noticing the beauty in the small things, but even that feels like a stretch. It’s just a story of adventure and a different spin on what happens when the museum closes. The pen, ink, and digitally rendered illustrations are detailed, engaging, and really bring the story and the adventures to life. The last pages include a bunch of items that Dakota didn’t find during the story but that the reader is encouraged to try to find.

Recommended for readers 4 and up. Reviewed by Jessie Trafton, Skidompha Library, Damariscotta, ME