Moles: the superpower field guide, written by Rachel Poliquin, reviewed by Klaudia Janek

Student Reviewer: Ammar S.
Summary: Moles: The Superpower Field Guide by Rachel Poliquin is a book that should be a welcome addition to any book collection middle grade and high school readers might have. This book explores the very little, potato-shaped, rather fascinating but mostly forgotten, mole. As said on the front cover, it has “96 pages of Gobsmacking facts”; each more interesting than the last. The book follows... you guessed it, a cartoon mole. This mole goes by the name Rosalie has a few natural superpowers that make her “The Bionic Burrower”! The powers include (and the chapters are sorted by these headings): “being an astonishing architect of dirt, indefatigable paw’s of power (paws that won’t quit), double-thumb-digging dominance, arms of Hercules, super-squidgibility, early whisker warning system, headless hoarding, saliva of death (maybe?), and the blood of the gods”. The first chapter sets the tone for the type of humor found throughout the book. “Rosalie...is shaped like a potato. And not a new potato, all cute and round, but a plain old lumpy russet potato, the sort that sits in the bottom of your fridge, neglected and going a little spongy” (8). There are quizzes throughout the book to test your new-found knowledge. The colors in the illustrations are minimalistic and look very mid-century modern. The colors chosen are earth tones that complement the earth that the mole digs through. There is a useful glossary at the end and resources for further research.

Straight Talk for Librarians: The read was rather enjoyable, and the pages were fantastically illustrated by Nicholas J. Frith which reminded me of an old Czech cartoon named “Krteček” I used to watch as a kid. The book was rather fun and beautiful in my opinion. There is a lot of scientific knowledge in there and it would be a perfect choice for the budding non-fiction reader. It would actually also be a good choice for a high school student looking for a “fun” science read. The text is so much more humorous than a standard biology textbook. It really is entertaining! Most students would typically not choose a mole to research, but this book could easily change a student’s mind. It is full of facts and tidbits while at the same time full of creative art, clever wordplay, and lots of fun. Every school library should have this book.