1,001 Creatures

By Laura Merz and Aino Järvinen

A 2021 USBBY Outstanding International Book

From the dung-beetle to the blue whale, no creature is too humble or huge for Finnish author and illustrator duo Laura Merz and Aino Järvinen in 1,001 Creatures, a gorgeously illustrated, interactive exploration of the natural world.

Under the sun, the moon, and the stars
all the creatures of the world, big and small,
carry out their own tasks
as part of nature’s great balance.

Have you ever wondered how a crocodile keeps its teeth clean? Or why herons like to sit on the backs of water buffalo? What exactly does a giant blue whale eat to get so big? In 1,001 Creatures, Aino Järvinen and Laura Merz playfully investigate the complex and awe-inspiring world of twenty-six fascinating insects, reptiles, and mammals.

With fun facts and captivating illustrations, 1,001 Creatures explores the diversity of the animal world and its ecosystems. Interactive questions allow readers to take their curiosity and imagination off the page and into the real world with prompts to create their own artwork, imitate a camel’s unique walk, and discover the ways in which all creatures are connected in the world. Järvinen’s humorous style and Merz’s unique watercolor illustrations painted from memory using non-traditional materials, enhance the central message that we’re all in this together—human, squid, and penguin alike.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Restless Books
• Release date: Sep 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781632062697

Laura Merz

Laura Merz is a visual artist, illustrator and textile from Finland. She specializes in experimental drawing, wildlife themed works and children’s culture. Her works have been shown in in solo and group exhibitions both in Finland and around the world. Laura is the illustrator of two award-winning children’s books, and she teaches art workshops to children with refugee backgrounds in partnership with the Berlin-based NGO Pass the Crayon and the Finnish organization All Our Children.

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