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Eon

My Pet Tardigrade

Author Cybèle Young On Tour

with Nell Jocelyn

Hardcover

$18.99 US

| $24.99 CAN

Tundra | Tundra Books

24 per carton

On sale Aug 11, 2026 | 56 Pages | 9781774880418

Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2

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Children's Books > Children's Picture Books

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Meet Eon, the tardigrade, and a curious kid who does her most-est to make this microscopic superhero a home. From a Governor General Literary Award-winning illustrator comes a poignant picture book about the tiniest pet imaginable, featuring incredible paper artwork and a beautiful foldout page.

Who ambles and plods like a bear and is the tiniest tickle in the palm of a hand?

Eon, that’s who! Eon is a tardigrade (also known as a water bear or a moss piglet). When an inquisitive girl discovers him while looking through her microscope, she’s captivated — and decides she wants to take care of him. But what does a tardigrade need? A table, a chair or maybe a rug? What about a swing, a ferris wheel or a rocket? Using paper, scissors and her imagination, this aspiring young artist and scientist creates mini habitats for Eon and learns the secrets of this fascinatingly resilient creature along the way.

Featuring intricate paper sculpture from Cybele Young and cut paper art from collaborator Nell Jocelyn, this playful and touching tale of a tardigrade is a loving reminder that sometimes the best way of caring for someone is letting go . . .

PRAISE FOR Eon: My Pet Tardigrade

"Young and Jocelyn’s triumphant tardigrade tribute delights with confident graphite drawings, delicate paper-made sculptures and a stirring sense of astonishment." —STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

"[T]he artists’ techniques makes plain the lengths to which each went to create this book’s paper sculptures, appreciation for which has no age ceiling. A higher-order if-you-love-something-set-it-free story." —Kirkus Reviews

"This beautifully illustrated picture book follows a child on an imaginative journey of discovery. . . . An artful creation; this title is a good tool for learning about tardigrades or having an SEL discussion." —School Library Journal

"The delightfully absurd premise blends STEM concepts with imaginative play and encourages curiosity about the microscopic world. . . . A whimsical picture book that blends scientific curiosity with creative play, elevated by clever mixed-media artwork." —Booklist

"This enthralling picture book has several potential audiences. . . . Anyone, young or old, interested in outstanding picture book art, paper sculpture and the combination of pencil drawing with collage-influenced composition, will love this book." —Imaginary Elevators

CYBÈLE YOUNG is an award-winning author and illustrator and an internationally acclaimed artist best known for her intricate paper sculpture. She is currently represented by galleries in New York, Calgary and Vancouver. Cybèle won the 2011 Governor General's Award for Illustration, Canada's most prestigious literary prize, for Ten Birds, the first book she both wrote and illustrated. View titles by Cybèle Young