The Bat (Disgusting Critters) by Elise Gravel is a cute and funny story about bats. The minimal illustrations are clever, and the equally minimal text is a good introduction to the subject. If you know the information and facts already, it reinforces that, but I am sure you can find a new fact or two (such as there are over 1,200 kinds of bats). But if you are new to the world of bats (especially on the younger end of the age range), you will be having fun with the fictionalization, silly presentation of facts. You have fun and learn simultaneously.
The animal lover will get a kick out of everything. Even though bats can have a bad rap, you will see that they are actually nice mammals, and you will have a great time reading. The age range would be up to about a young third grade level, but more for the five to eight range. This would be the sweet spot for early readers or for being read to. The other books in this series include The Toad, The Fly, Head Lice, The Slug, The Mosquito, The Worm, The Spider, The Rat, and The Cockroach.
The cover really tells you how the artwork will look. They are not overly detailed obviously, but there is a charm to them. They are quirky and set the tone of the book. The art is the character of the story. They seem to be in the signature style of other books Gravel has both written and illustrated.
