“Tick Rex” by Ruth Thomas

• 09/29/2023
• no comments

Tick Rex

Ruth Thomas
Peck-A-Long Publishing LLC (2023)
ISBN 979-8987429211
Reviewed by Jill Rey for Reader Views (09/2023)

As a midwestern girl, I grew up surrounded by farming fields and wooded hiking trails.  Meaning, I am no stranger to ticks.  I grew up simultaneously fearing and being grossed out by ticks.  These little blood suckers attach themselves to dogs, people, and other wild animals and go unnoticed, with the potential to wreak havoc. Still, to this day, I’m trained to check my hair after walking outside in the summer or feel the dog up and down after long walks under trees.  Lyme disease remains a potentially serious consequence of ticks and removing them properly is no easy feat.

It was nice to see ticks getting their own story in this read, “Tick Rex: Queen of the Woods” by Ruth Thomas.  This book offers a way to instill a healthy understanding of ticks without completely terrifying kids.  Packed full of insights and knowledge into the world of ticks and how these tiny creatures travel from place to place while showcasing the fear and hesitant reluctance of the animals that encounter the tick.  Despite the tick’s small size, the scared responses of each of the larger animals that encountered Tick Rex were clear.

From forest to fields, deer to birds, the tick truly is the queen.  Fur, grass, wind, and indoors are no match for this tick!  Ending the read with some great discussion questions for readers to reflect on their comprehension of the book, “Tick Rex: Queen of the Woods” truly offers a well-rounded reading experience. Discussion of Lyme Disease in the concluding pages signifies the importance of understanding the fear of ticks and why we need to monitor their possible presence on us.

“Tick Rex: Queen of the Woods” is a well-illustrated read.  With contrasting greens of the forest to the browns of the field and blues of the bird in the sky.  Each animal and human is presented on the page with digital-like detail that makes them immediately recognizable to all ages.  I loved that readers saw each animal Tick Rex encountered both in its natural habitat and against a blank white page when they finally shook the tick off.  This contrast from the colorful habitat to the focal white page provided an opportunity to see each encounter up close and as the animal traveled with the tick. Such an informative and enjoyable read, great to see ticks represented across the page.