Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic

by Margaux Meganck (Author)

Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Everything and everyone has a place in the universe, but for a little speck, lost at sea, it will take an extraordinary journey to find it.

Deep in a tide pool, too small to see,

Thousands of tiny specks go forth.

Each one searching

for a place to stay, and grow, and thrive...

The little speck does not know what it is, only that it wishes to find out. And so it embarks on a journey across the sea. From sun-flecked surf to darkest depths, past schools of fish, storm-tossed ships and hungry eels.... Until, at last, it finds exactly what it was looking for: a place to belong.

In vivid watercolor paintings, Margaux Meganck brings this tale to life, seamlessly shifting perspective to show how even the tiniest creatures--every barnacle, every child, every star in the sky--contributes to something greater than itself.

Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
Deeply moving. 

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3--In her second book, Meganck (People are Wild) follows a tiny speck in the ocean as it looks for a place to stay and grow. This speck's quest is compared to a barnacle, a child, and more abstractly, the stars. In contrast to the first book's shorter text and succinct message, this one's meaning is less obvious. Although targeted for young readers, the intentions are abstract; the journey to find a place in the world is hard and "the safest thing to do is hide," but a hidden speck would "miss out on the adventure." Reading this story with older children can lead to philosophical discussions and connections. The illustrations are undoubtedly the highlight of the book, showing a vibrant ocean world with colorful sea creatures painted in bright watercolors. VERDICT While the illustrations are sure to capture the attention of children, the deeper message may be best appreciated by older readers. A supplemental purchase.--Heidi Dechief

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Expressive prose and immersive underwater scenes produce a feeling of awe in this contemplative picture book about a tiny oceanic speck's search for a place that feels like home. Amid the toes of human bathers in a tide pool, "countless tiny specks" float forth, weaving among creatures such as a jellyfish, sea turtle, sea urchin, and puffer fish. Their number declines when the specks drift along ("Tossed by waves,// carried by currents,// each speck searching// for a place to stay, and grow"), and a profound moment occurs in the depths, where a single luminous spark glows amid an absorbing inky-hued spread ("One tiny speck/ can get lost in an ocean so vast./ Where big feels bigger,// and small feels smaller"). Still, the speck persists in its journey until it settles on a majestic creaturely perch, and pages zoom outward in successive aerials that contextualize the speck's place in the world. Color layering produces an iridescent chalkiness in Meganck's soothing artwork. Human background characters are portrayed with different skin tones. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)

Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

★ Stunning, vivid watercolors show the vastness of the watery world beneath our toes. . . Deeply moving. —Kirkus Reviews, Starred review

★ A metaphor for all living beings finding their place in the world. —The Bulletin, Starred review 
Margaux Meganck
MARGAUX MEGANCK spends her days dodging raindrops and drawing from her imagination in beautiful Portland, Oregon. From nannying, to early childhood art education, to children's bookshops, Margaux has always worked with and around children's literature. So it came as no surprise when she started illustrating and writing for children. Margaux's author-illustrator debut, People Are Wild, received two starred reviews and was named a Kirkus best book of the year. Her illustration work has also earned multiple accolades from the Junior Library Guild (JLG) and Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Speck is the second book she both wrote and illustrated.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593301975
Lexile Measure
530
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date
March 19, 2024
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV009060 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Size & Shape
JUV002170 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Marine Life
JUV068000 - Juvenile Fiction | Travel
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Belonging

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