Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter (2021)

Author: Jamie Michalak | Illustrator: Kelly Murphy | Publisher: Candlewick Press | Ages 3-7

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Kelly Murphy's Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter, is the first picture book in a series written by Jamie Michalak and published by Candlewick Press, introducing the world to the adventurous, art-loving Dakota Crumb.

In a clever take on the “night at the museum” theme, a little mouse with a genius for collecting leads picture book readers—and seek-and-find aficionados—on a thrilling nocturnal adventure.

Dakota Crumb: Tiny Treasure Hunter is both a rollicking story with a dash of danger and, in its final eye-popping spreads, a seek-and-find challenge. As the clock in the great museum tick-tocks past midnight, a little mouse with a sack and a treasure map scurries past the guards. Plucky and intrepid Dakota Crumb scours the museum for artifacts, including the famous Purple Jewel of Cairo (a gumdrop stashed in an exhibit). By day, the little mouse shares her carefully curated finds with fellow tiny creatures that flock to Miss Crumb’s tiny Mousehole Museum. A feast for sharp-eyed readers—who’ll delight in circling back after the story to pore over the illustrations in search of treasure—this gently suspenseful tale, splashed with soft, dusky hues, evokes a world of wonders after dark.

“Meet Dakota Crumb, treasure hunter extraordinaire. Never mind that she is a mouse; her small size is no hindrance to her bravery... Readers will need sharp eyes to identify the actual treasures, but the effort is rewarded by admission through a tiny door under the big museum to the Mousehole Museum—curated by the amazing, clever Miss Crumb. Murphy’s gray- and purple-hued nighttime cartoons perfectly track the action from Dakota’s close-to-the-ground perspective, depicting her as an intelligent, confident, and independent female... A delightful, entertaining romp with lots of surprises.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In this Night at the Museum-leaning picture book, an intrepid gray mouse, dressed in a red turtleneck sweater and utility belt, uses her nocturnal prowl to scour a big-city museum for treasures... Michalak (Frank and Bean) drums up the lengthy expedition’s drama, and Murphy’s (Together We Grow) digitally colored pen and ink drawings are both adventure-story cinematic and wonderfully evocative; bathed in pale purples and blues, they capture the after-hours stillness and spooky chill of marbled interiors.”—Publishers Weekly

“The writing draws listeners into the story with hints of daring escapades, and its tone sets the stage for adventure. The inviting artwork, drawn with pen and ink and digitally colored, enhances that atmosphere with shadowy scenes of the exhibit halls at night. Fun for reading aloud, ideally before visiting a museum.”—Booklist

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