Mr Darren N Morrissey

The Tiny, Tiny Tardigrade Mr Darren N Morrissey

Publisher Marketing: "It's never too early to start teaching your child about some of the amazing things that exist in nature. This is a book about tardigrades (also known as water bears or moss piglets) for inquisitive pre-school children. Large, colourful pictures help children and their parents learn about these fascinating creatures." Tardigrades are one of the oldest living species on the planet and are so resilient that they can survive at extremes of temperature, underwater and even in the vacuum of space! This, and their relative obscurity makes the tardigrade one of the authors' favourite animals. In 2014, whilst searching for the perfect Christmas present for their niece, Edith, Darren and Karen discovered that it was possible to buy cuddly tardigrade toys. What better gift for an 18 month old girl? Only after their purchase did they realise that no-one else seemed to know what a tardigrade was, which could have led to some awkward discussions between Edith and her father. It was with this in mind that Darren and Karen decided to write a children's book that would explain everything! Darren and Karen have also produced a YouTube video to accompany the book, which features many of the pictures from the book and a voice-over by Darren.