Ninita's Big World: The True Story of a Deaf Pygmy Marmoset

by Sarah Glenn Marsh, Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Illustrator)

Overview

The heart-tugging true story of how YouTube star Ninita—a deaf, orphaned pygmy marmoset (the smallest type of monkey)—found family, friendship, and a forever home! Illustrated in full color.
Ninita is the only known deaf pygmy marmoset in the world, but that doesn't stop her from making friends and chasing her next adventure! Abandoned by her parents and rescued by the RSCF, this tiny, curious monkey loves exploring her habitat. And when she meets Mr. Big—another pygmy marmoset—she has finally found a friend who likes to eat, climb, and play as much as she does. A YouTube celebrity, Ninita's videos have been viewed nearly 2 million times! 

Published in partnership with the RSCF, this charming true story of how one little orphaned monkey got a second chance to have a family gently introduces kids to disability, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328770011
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	04/30/2019
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,064,162
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Sarah Glenn Marsh is the author of the picture books Selfie Sebastien and A Campfire Tail, as well as the young adult novels Reign of the Fallen and Fear of the Drowning Deep. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their menagerie of four rescued greyhounds, three birds, and many fish. Visit her at sarahglennmarsh.com, on Twitter @SG_Marsh, and on Instagram @sarahmarshauthor.

Stephanie Fizer Coleman grew up in a rural area, with a babbling brook and lush forest just a few feet from her back door, and the love of nature she developed as a child still influences her work today. She has created illustrations for Chronicle Books, Mudpuppy, American Greetings, and Papyrus, among many other clients. She lives in West Virginia, and Ninita's Big World is her first book. Visit her online at stephaniefizercoleman.com, on Facebook and Instagram @stephfizercoleman, Pinterest @stephanie_fizer, and Twitter @StephanieFizer.

Editorial Reviews

03/04/2019

Marsh introduces Ninita, a pygmy marmoset that was born deaf and taken in by human caregivers when her parents abandoned her after only three weeks. In Coleman’s cuddly, approachable art, Ninita is groomed with a toothbrush (“the bristles felt just like a mother’s claws”) and she peeks into the pages of a book and climbs up her caregiver’s pant leg. Finally, Ninita finds a friend in another pygmy marmoset brought into the house: “While Ninita couldn’t hear his chatter or whisper secrets to him, she could climb as high as he could and jump just as fast.” Though readers may not gain a clear sense of Ninita’s transition from the sanctuary to domestic life, Marsh’s author’s note includes valuable context. Photos of the real Ninita, and a description of the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation and its pygmy marmoset breeding program, conclude. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"The pocket-size monkey’s expressive face will melt readers’ hearts."—Booklist "Young readers will love Ninita and learn to care about saving her habitat."—Kirkus "[C]uddly, approachable art....[and] Marsh’s author’s note includes valuable context."—Publishers Weekly "A narrative that will crawl into your heart with a smile and a small toothbrush."—School Library Journal —

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

K-Gr 3—Marsh does a wonderful job telling the story of Ninita, a deaf pygmy marmoset, and how she interacts with the world around her. The plot of this book is simple, showing how Ninita was abandoned by her parents, how the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation (RSCF) raised her, and how she became friends with her caretakers, and eventually, other marmosets. The story, both educational and emotional, allows readers to learn more information about marmosets and Ninita through various context clues and images. Coleman's illustrations are adorable and help highlight Ninita's emotions at certain points of the story. They also help create the world around Ninita, so that readers can begin to understand the scope of her surroundings versus the world she wants to explore. Readers can learn more information about pygmy marmosets at the end of the book through both a detailed author's note and a fun facts page. While Marsh is not a scientist, she has clearly done her research and worked with the RSCF in order to deliver a story that is factual, enjoyable, and emotional. Marsh's enthusiasm for Ninita is evident throughout, and she and Coleman have created a narrative that will crawl into your heart with a smile and a small toothbrush. VERDICT An excellent book for reading aloud and teaching children about pygmy marmosets and conservation efforts.—Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL

School Library Journal

2019-01-15

Ninita may be a deaf pygmy marmoset, but she makes the most of life in her big world.

Ninita's big world is not the Amazon rainforest, the native habitat of pygmy marmosets, the smallest monkeys in the world, but the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Loxahatchee, Florida. Ninita was born deaf. She took in the sights and warmth of her habitat, but she could not "hear the hum of mosquitoes and dragonflies [or] her parents' voices." Her parents abandoned Ninita when she was just 3 weeks old. In Coleman's illustrations Ninita is adorable, with sad or happy eyes and cheerful expressions of wonderment as she finds a world of cuddly toys, warm blankets, ropes to climb on, and yogurt, rice pudding, and "fluffy whipped cream" to eat—this last licked from the tip of an enormous human finger that effectively demonstrates scale. She especially loves being groomed with a toothbrush. As she grows, she explores tall grass and dark caves (depicted as the hair of a white human caregiver and partially opened book, respectively). These adventures are made better when she's introduced into a new habitat and meets a new marmoset friend named Mr. Big to share them with. A lively if highly anthropomorphizing text and endearing digitally created illustrations combine to demonstrate how even the smallest creatures can "climb as high" and "jump just as fast" as their peers in a world that supports their efforts. The human hands shown could be white or brown.

Young readers will love Ninita and learn to care about saving her habitat. (author's note, bibliography, fun facts) (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews