Another exploration of nature’s wonders by an author-illustrator pair who delight readers with their examples.
Collage illustrations show camouflaged animals hiding to stay alive.
This latest title by Jenkins and Page show how creatures camouflage themselves in many different environments: coral reefs; trees; flowers; forest floors; Arctic snow; leaves and vines; and rocks. Each double-page spread shows from four to seven creatures (one image shows eggs) hidden in a natural context. On the next spread, thumbnails from the previous page, silhouettes of the creatures showing size relative to a human hand or body, and a short paragraph of explanation of its camouflage techniques accompany clear images of the same creatures. The backmatter includes images of the creatures in the order shown along with a paragraph of further information, usually its size, food or feeding habits, and general location. From the crocodile fish and leafy sea dragons in coral reefs to the Namibian stone grasshopper and the marine iguana of the Galápagos, these interesting animals come from all over the world. Alas, there are no page numbers, and a couple of inaccuracies sneak in: The giant Pacific octopus is depicted as a coral-reef inhabitant when it prefers chillier waters than is typical for coral, and the trumpetfish is incorrectly indicated as inhabiting the eastern Atlantic instead of the western Atlantic. Jenkins’ torn- and cut-paper collages show remarkable artistry, and he is not the first to demonstrate this concept through artistic tools and techniques, but photographs (such as Dwight Kuhn’s in David M. Schwartz and Yael Schy’s Where in the Wild, 2007, and its sequel, Where Else in the Wild, 2009) are more convincing.
Another exploration of nature’s wonders by an author-illustrator pair who delight readers with their examples. (resources, useful search terms) (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-328-85094-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute.
Readers bid farewell to a beloved canine character.
Momo is—or was—an adorable and very photogenic border collie owned by author Knapp. The many readers who loved him in the previous half-dozen books are in for a shock with this one. “Momo had died” is the stark reality—and there are no photographs of him here. Instead, Momo has been replaced by a flat cartoonish pastiche with strange, staring round white eyes, inserted into some of Knapp’s photography (which remains appealing, insofar as it can be discerned under the mixed media). Previous books contained few or no words. Unfortunately, virtuosity behind a lens does not guarantee mastery of verse. The art here is accompanied by words that sometimes rhyme but never find a workable or predictable rhythm (“We’d fetch and we’d catch, / we’d run and we’d jump. Every day we found new / games to play”). It’s a pity, because the subject—a pet’s death—is an important one to address with children. Of course, Momo isn’t gone; he can still be found “everywhere” in memories. But alas, he can be found here only in the crude depictions of the darling dog so well known from the earlier books.
A well-meaning but lackluster tribute. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781683693864
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Quirk Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 4, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
Another playful imagination-stretcher.
Markle invites children to picture themselves living in the homes of 11 wild animals.
As in previous entries in the series, McWilliam’s illustrations of a diverse cast of young people fancifully imitating wild creatures are paired with close-up photos of each animal in a like natural setting. The left side of one spread includes a photo of a black bear nestling in a cozy winter den, while the right side features an image of a human one cuddled up with a bear. On another spread, opposite a photo of honeybees tending to newly hatched offspring, a human “larva” lounges at ease in a honeycomb cell, game controller in hand, as insect attendants dish up goodies. A child with an eye patch reclines on an orb weaver spider’s web, while another wearing a head scarf constructs a castle in a subterranean chamber with help from mound-building termites. Markle adds simple remarks about each type of den, nest, or burrow and basic facts about its typical residents, then closes with a reassuring reminder to readers that they don’t have to live as animals do, because they will “always live where people live.” A select gallery of traditional homes, from igloo and yurt to mudhif, follows a final view of the young cast waving from a variety of differently styled windows.
Another playful imagination-stretcher. (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: May 7, 2024
ISBN: 9781339049052
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 3, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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