a very cute book with an almost tragic ending(but it was happy :) ). Gives students insight into Australian animals, especially the Tasmanian devils. Good for first grade and up.

Burnie, Winnie and Big Stanley liked to fight, and dinnertime in their family was often a rough and tumble affair. Of course, "Mum didn't care that they acted gnarly and rough. Because that is what Tasmanian devils are supposed to do." But then one day, Mum didn't come home, and three scrappy little devils set out to find her...

Robert J. Blake, who spent a number of weeks observing Tasmanian devils in the wild, delivers an engaging adventure tale that manages to be both heartwarming and realistic. The combative feeding habits of the species, their propensity for "borrowing" items from nearby human homes, and their fearsome howling, all play a role in Little Devils. But so too does love of family, sticking together, and courage in the face of adversity. The oil illustrations, in mostly warm earth-tones, emphasize both the youth of the three little devils, and their potential ferocity.

Unlike other Australian animals - such as the wombat, koala bear, or kangaroo - it's unusual to see a picture-book featuring the Tasmanian devil. Given the threat currently facing the species, whose population in the wild has declined 70% over the last decade, due to Devil Facial Tumour Disease, the publication of Little Devils is especially welcome! Perhaps young readers (and their teachers and parents) might like to visit the Save the Tasmanian Devil website, after reading it... ( )