Synopses & Reviews
When Clarence Cochran wakes up one evening, hes shocked. Where are his antennae and his beautiful wings? And what is this strange pair of shorts that hes wearing? Clarence has changed from a cockroach into a tiny human boy! The other cockroaches are disgusted. Only Clarences mother understands. “Be who you are,” she says. “You will do wonderful things.” And when the entire roach community - happily living in the messy Gilmartin kitchen - is threatened with extermination, Clarence does, setting out on a dangerous journey to enlist the help of ten-year-old Mimi Gilmartin in a quest to save his family and friends.
Expressive drawings add visual punch to this funny, thoughtprovoking modern fable that shows how even the most hostile species can find a way to coexist.
Review
“This is a story about friendship and seeing beyond appearances, but Loizeauxs tiny human has a unique perspective that may bring new understanding about the importance of all species, even one as unpopular as Clarences.” School Library Journal
“Loizeaux paints an entertaining picture of the slovenly Gilmartin family and the bounty that their kitchen provides to the local cockroach community . . . . Wilsdorfs black-and-white drawings amplify the humor of the text while highlighting specific action and amusing details.” Kirkus Reviews
Review
“Clarence is a brave soul who dares the wilds of the carpet, befriends fleas to get past the dog, and develops a sweet, quasi-romantic friendship with the human girl . . . . Monochromatic line-and-wash illustrations in a tempered Quentin Blake-like style add a cute factor and help scaffold imagination.” —Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
“Readers will cheer resourceful Clarence and his staunch mom in this humorous adventure story and enjoy viewing the roaches miniature world as depicted in Anne Wilsdorfs black-and-white drawings.” —Washington Parent
“This is a story about friendship and seeing beyond appearances, but Loizeauxs tiny human has a unique perspective that may bring new understanding about the importance of all species, even one as unpopular as Clarences.” —School Library Journal
“Loizeaux paints an entertaining picture of the slovenly Gilmartin family and the bounty that their kitchen provides to the local cockroach community . . . . Wilsdorfs black-and-white drawings amplify the humor of the text while highlighting specific action and amusing details.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Fun fare for the whole fam.” —Fuse # 8 Blog
Synopsis
Clarence Cochran is shocked that he has changed from a cockroach into a tiny human boy. When the entire roach community is threatened with extermination, Clarence sets out on a dangerous journey to save his family and friends. Illustrations.
About the Author
WILLIAM LOIZEAUX is the author of Wings, winner of an ASPCA Henry Bergh Award and a Golden Kite Honor Book for Fiction. He lives in Hyattsville, Maryland. ANNE WILSDORF has illustrated many books, including Two Sticks by Orel Protopopescu, selected as a Best Childrens Book of the Year, Bank Street College. She lives in Lausanne, Switzerland.