The Microscope

by Maxine Kumin, Arnold Lobel (Illustrator)

Relates in rhyme the famous Dutch scientist's penchant for viewing things with a microscope, through which he made remarkable observations.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, History, Childrens

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1984

About the author

Maxine Kumin's 17th poetry collection, published in the spring of 2010, is Where I Live: New and Selected Poems 1990-2010. Her awards include the Pulitzer and Ruth Lilly Poetry Prizes, the Poets’ Prize, and the Harvard Arts and Robert Frost Medals. A former US poet laureate, she and her husband lived on a farm in New Hampshire. Maxine Kumin died in 2014.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the illustrations and the rhymes. The text was sparse and we wanted more information about Leeuwenhoek.

[Greta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely story and pictures, a keeper.

[Jenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maxine Kumin's The Microscope is far my favorite poem for children, and one that I believe will be added to our memorization list because the rhymes are so fun and memorable. This short book covers biology, history, Renaissance, and an introduction to Dutch culture, which is personally salient to our family descended from German/Dutch fishermen.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations; nice historical note at the end.