Look
Again: Secrets of Animal Camouflage by Steve Jenkins
Bibliographic
Data
Jenkins,
S., & Page, R. (2019). Look again. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York,
NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 978-1-328-85094-2
Summary
Look
Again is the latest offering from
Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins. It features thirty-six animals who utilize
camouflage or mimicry as a means of defense or for protection. The animals are divided amongst the pages by
the types of camouflage used, including leaves, flowers, bark, landscapes,
trees, etc. Each section generalizes how
that group of animals uses that type of camouflage, with more specific details
as to each individual animal in smaller text features on the pages next to the accompanying
illustrations. At the end of the book,
there is also a glossary with even more detailed information on all thirty-six
of the animals in the book.
Critical
Analysis
Look
Again
stylistically reflects that of Mr. Jenkins’ other nonfiction books about
animals. He has a distinct method to
creating his illustrations, which fit into a picture book style more than traditional
nonfiction. The illustrations are bright
and colorful, per the author’s typical style, so elementary age students will
surely be drawn to it. However, I do not
think the choice of illustrations over literal pictures is as effective. If they added in a picture glossary in the
back of each animal’s camouflage, the book would have been significantly more impactful. This is not the case. For a nonfiction book, there is not enough
information. For each featured animal,
there is only one sentence worth of information. They did include a size comparison of a human
next to each animal. However, there is
no accompanying caption to explain this feature, so it’s a bit confusing. Look Again does feature a wide variety
of animals, which makes it a beneficial tool in introducing its concepts. The best feature in this book is a section in
the back that provides the reader with additional printed books, internet
sites, and internet search terms that, when utilized, would provide them with
additional information on the subject. I
have never seen this before, but it’s an excellent idea to extend learning.
Awards
and Review Excerpts
"Jenkins' torn- and cut-paper collages show
remarkable artistry...Another exploration of nature's wonders by an
author-illustrator pair who delight readers with their examples." —Kirkus
Review March 17, 2019
Connections
This
would be a great book to use in 4th grade science to teach animal
adaptations, along with any of these additional book choices.
101 Hidden Animals by
Melvin & Gilda Berger
Animal Camouflage by
Vicky Franchino
Secrets of Animal Camouflage: A Shine
a Light Book by Carron Brown & Wesley Robins
Camouflage and Mimicry: Animal Weapons
and Defenses by Janet Riehecky
Speediest!
19 Very Fast Animals by
Steve Jenkins
Bibliographic
Data
Jenkins,
S. (2018). Speediest!: 19 very fast animals. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New
York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN
978-0-544-93710-9
Summary
Speediest!
is one of
several books in Steve Jenkins’ nonfiction, young reader-friendly series, Extreme
Animals. The first three books in
the series introduce readers to the top deadly, sneaky, and smelly animals,
while this book introduces nineteen of the fastest animals. Each animal has a two-page spread of detailed
information about it, including their size, where it lives, size comparisons,
what it eats, how they communicate, how it moves, its top speed, and other unique
facts.
Critical
Analysis
This
is an excellent nonfiction starter book to ease young readers into the realm of
the nonfiction genre. For one, the
amount of words and information in the pages is not so great to make it overwhelming
to approach. Each page is littered with
facts about the nineteen animals in a format that make it easy for a young
reader to comprehend. The pictures in
the book are illustrations you might see in a picture book. They are bright, colorful, and sure to attract
the attention of elementary age students, but not beyond that age group. Personally, when I’m reading nonfiction
literature, I want actual pictures to accompany the content, so the
illustrations fell a bit flat for me. I
feel like Mr. Jenkins’ purpose would have still been met with actual pictures
of the animals rather than illustrations, all while remaining appealing to
youngsters. This book’s greatest
accomplishment is its use of numerous nonfiction text features. It includes maps, graphs, size comparisons,
statistics, graphs, a glossary, and more.
It would be an excellent tool to introduce these text features to
elementary age students.
Awards
and Review Excerpts
"A
riveting series for animal lovers and a good choice for science
shelves."--School Library Journal January 1, 2018
Connections
Stinkiest! 20 Smelly Animals by
Steve Jenkins
Trickiest! 19 Sneaky Animals by
Steve Jenkins
Deadliest!: 20 Dangerous Animals by
Steve Jenkins
Animals by the Numbers: A Book of
Infographics by Steve Jenkins
The
Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus by Jen Bryant
Bibliographic
Data
Bryant,
J. (2014). The right word: Roget and his thesaurus. Ill. by Melissa
Sweet. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-8028-5385-1
Summary
If you’ve
ever wondered how thesauruses came to be, then The Right Word is the
perfect book to read. This nonfiction
picture books follows Peter Roget, the father of the thesaurus, throughout his
life. It begins after the tragic death
of his father. Roget, in his time of
grief, turns to writing his book, which consist of a collection of lists about
words he has made. This book becomes his
escape and safe haven for much of his childhood. The story continues as Roget goes through
school, grows into adulthood, becomes a doctor, finishes his first book of
words, marriage, fatherhood, and more. It’s
a fascinating tale that every logophile is sure to love.
Critical
Analysis
The
illustrations in The Right Word are truly exceptional an unlike any I’ve
ever seen. They were created with mixed
media, collages, and watercolor artwork, but the combination of them together
are fascinating and sure to attract readers of all ages. Sweet’s implementation of her illustrations
perfectly complements the text. Bryant’s
use of various shapes, colors, and emphasis on particular words in the text drive
home the storyline and make it more impactful than had she used the same size,
fonts, and colors for every page. It’s
immersive and creates the effect that you are nestled among the pages of
Roget’s notebook. Visually, there is so
much to take in, you could read the book multiple times and still find new
details to digest. One of the best nonfiction
text features is the historical timeline of Roget’s life. It speaks vaguely about Roget keeping an
account of important events in his life in the text, but having an actual
timeline at the finale ties everything together. The author’s and illustrator’s notes at the
end are chock full of information that explains the history behind and formatting
of the book itself, a feature not often found in nonfiction books. Overall, this is a delightful book that brings
the fairly unknown life history of Roget into the light.
Awards
and Review Excerpts
“In a
word: marvelous!” (Picture book/biography. 6-10)--Kirkus Star Review
August 1, 2014
Connections
Karl, Get Out of the Garden!: Carolus
Linnaeus and the Naming of Everything by Anita Sanchez
A River of Words: The Story of William
Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant
Some Writer!: The Story of E. B. White
by Melissa Sweet
The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John
James Audubon by Jacqueline Davies
The Boy Who Loved Words
by Roni Schotter
Waiting for the Biblioburro
by Monica Brown
Drawing
from Memory by
Allen Say
Bibliographic
Data
Say, A.
(2011). Drawing from memory. Ill. by Allen Say. New York, NY: Scholastic
Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. ISBN
978-0-545-17686-6
Summary
Drawing
from Memory is
the heartwarming memoir of Caldecott Medal-winning author-illustrator Allen Say. Say grew up during World War II. Say knits the details of this time period in
history within his life’s story. At only
four years old, he, his mother, and his sister were forced to flee their home
after bombs started falling from the sky.
At eight years old, Say was placed in Mrs. Morita’s class. She was the first individual in his life who
recognized and applauded his artistic talent and encouraged him to pursue it, a
critical turning point in his life. He faced
much opposition from his family for his love of art and was forced to pursue
other career options. Eventually, Say’s takes
the path his heart desires, and he refines his artistic gifts with a Sensei
(teacher). The book continues by showing
the development of Say’s artwork throughout the various art classes up until
his move to America.
Critical
Analysis
The
power of art and drawing is the heartbeat of this book. Appropriately, the combination of historical
pictures, sketches, hand-drawn portraits, watercolor artwork, and more by Say convey
the theme of the book and complement the text.
After all, memories are pictures stamped into our hearts. Say seamlessly embeds important historical
events alongside the impactful events from his life’s timeline, and, as a result,
show the direct correlation of how those events impact one another. The historical photographs are used well to
complement the text, as are the illustrations.
Due to certain sketches in the book and the depth of the content, I
would recommend this book for a middle or high school library collection rather
than an elementary one. Since the book somewhat
resembles a graphic novel, it’s sure to appeal to readers and hold their
attention.
Awards
and Review Excerpts
“Aesthetically
superb; this will fascinate comics readers and budding artists while creating
new Say fans.” (author’s note) (Graphic memoir. 10 & up)---Kirkus
Star Review July 15, 2011
Connections
Silent Days, Silent Dreams by
Allen Say
The Inker’s Shadow by
Allen Say
Fearless: A Cartoonist’s Guide to Life
by Robb Armstrong
My Life as a Cartoonist
by Janet Tashjian
Drawn to Purpose: American Women
Illustrators and Cartoonists by Martha H. Kennedy
