Jenkins’s signature collages are ideal for illustrating this introduction to the way bones work in humans and other mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and most fish. Organized roughly by body part, from hands and feet to supporting limbs, ribs and heads, these cut-paper shapes demonstrate the similarities in vertebrate skeletons, showing comparative sizes and adaptations. Set on a black or deeply colored background, the bones stand out. The text is secondary: a jokey title (“Got Your Back,” “Head Case”), followed by a sentence or short paragraph for each topic printed in white in a large, legible typeface. Fold-out pages add interest, especially when the 206 bones of the human body, disassembled on a double-page spread, are reassembled inside. The scale is given for most pictures. An afterword offers further facts about what bones are made of, the cartilage of sharks and exoskeletons of spiders and snails, and fossils. This is a book for young browsers, without page numbers, index, sources or suggestions for further reading. That’s a shame, since it’s sure to leave readers wanting more. (Informational picture book. 6-10)
