I See a Kookaburra!

Starred review from April 25, 2005
The husband-and-wife team behind What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
presents another intimate look at the natural world, here surveying six animal in glorious habitats: desert, tide pool, jungle, savanna, forest and pond. Author and artist introduce each environment in pairs of spreads, first asking readers to peer into a full-bleed landscape in which they can spot animals partially concealed by holes, greenery and other features (hence, the "I See" in the title, a refrain for each environment). The companion spread, strips away all the extraneous detail, revealing the inhabitants, silhouetted against a white background. A structure resembling a pine cone, for instance, which pops out from a rock outcropping in the first desert spread is actually the end of a fat, coiled diamondback rattlesnake in all its venomous glory; skinny toes wrapped around a branch in the jungle turns out to belong to a comical red-eyed tree frog. Jenkins masterfully manipulates texture and space, playing up the unique palette and architecture of each habitat, while pushing readers towards an aesthetic awareness of the remarkable shapes and patterns that compose nature's wonders. Straightforward language in small type identifies the environments ("This desert is in the American Southwest"), and vivid, economical descriptions of the critters follow on the companion spreads, completing the phrase "I see..."("an angry diamondback rattlesnake buzzing a warning," for instance). Lengthier notes on all the environments and inhabitants conclude this informative and attractive volume, yet another keeper from this talented team. Ages 4-8.

Starred review from April 2, 2012
Jenkins pairs his customarily gorgeous brand of cut- and torn-paper collage with fascinating tidbits in this exploration of the vast world of beetles. Each insect is carefully crafted to highlight its unique characteristics—the feather-horn beetle’s fanlike antennae; the striking red markings on the back of a harlequin beetle—and several are shown actual size (terrifying in the case of some like the titan beetle and Fijian long-horn beetle). Readers will learn about basic beetle anatomy, as well as facts about specific species: the Australian tiger beetle “is the fastest runner in the insect world,” and the titan beetle’s jaws are strong enough to “snap a pencil in half.” Jenkins offers a wealth of information about beetles and presents it impeccably. Ages 4–8.

February 15, 2012
Jenkins' splendid array of beetles will surely produce at least one budding coleopterist. The colors and patterns of this ubiquitous insect (one out of four creatures on the planet is a beetle, Jenkins tells readers) are fascinating, as are the details about the various adaptations that beetles have made over millennia in response to their environment, diet, and predators. "Perhaps the innovation that has been most helpful to the beetle is its pair of rigid outer wings." Beautiful book design and a small but clear freehand-style type contribute to readers' appreciation of the elegant structure and variety of these creatures. Deep, bright hues in the torn-and-cut-paper-collage illustrations set each beetle with its own singular pattern and colors against generous white space. Actual-size silhouettes allow the detailed, larger illustrations to be matched with a realistic appraisal of each beetle's dimensions. A list of the several dozen featured beetles along with their Latin names and their principal geographic locations appears on a two-page opening at the back. Only a couple of quibbles: The author's claim that without the dung beetle "the world's grasslands would soon be buried in animal droppings" begs for a little further explanation; and the absence of a bibliography seems like an oversight. Otherwise, distinguished both as natural history and work of art. (Nonfiction. 7-12)

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Starred review from April 1, 2012

Gr 4-7-"Line up every kind of plant and animal on Earth..." says Jenkins at the start of his joyous celebration of beetle-mania, ."..and one of every four will be a beetle." From the minute clown beetle to the gigantic titan beetle (its jaws are strong enough to snap a pencil in half), the artist uses his trademark torn- and cut-paper creations to depict a wide sampling to introduce neophyte beetle lovers to the sumptuous world that awaits them. With more than 350,000 species known to science (and others being discovered as you read this review), Jenkins had his work cut out for him. Throughout the colorful, fact-filled pages runs a series of life-size silhouettes to give readers a proper perspective for comparisons. In informative snippets of hand-lettered text, he offers life-style data and basic beetle physiology, and quirky details such as the fact that museums use hide beetles to clean animal specimen bones, and that bombardier beetles squirt a blinding spray into the faces of their enemies. Suffice to say that Jenkins's enthusiasm for his subject shines through in this rich and varied compendium.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from April 1, 2012
Grades 3-5 *Starred Review* Through striking illustrations and intriguing information, this large-format book introduces the world of beetles. The text opens with the startling information that one quarter of every kind of plant and animal on Earth is a beetle. After an overview of body structure, sections are devoted to topics such as beetles' senses, behaviors, life cycles, communications, and defenses. The fully illustrated format will appeal to a younger audience, but the book is better suited to children who are already familiar with words such as toxin or pupa. Well regarded for his collages of cut and torn papers, Jenkins is in top form in these illustrations, offering intricate, precise images of beetles isolated on broad white pages. The pictures combine clarity of form with subtlety of texture and color. A typical double-page spread features several large-scale individual pictures with small-type paragraphs of information appearing alongside them. At the bottom of some pages, black silhouettes show the actual sizes of beetles pictured above. While the book lacks such traditional back matter as a glossary, source notes, and bibliographies, it includes a list of each species mentioned, its Latin name, and its locale. A richly varied and visually riveting introduction to beetles, both familiar and strange.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2012
Jenkins brings his signature style to the world of beetles, a truly fascinating insect order, and highlights the amazing diversity of species. The book opens with basic beetle structure and function, and then covers topics such as reproduction, feeding, communication, and defense mechanisms, presenting illustrative cases across double-page spreads. As always, the design of the book is exemplary. The colorful cut-paper beetles stand out crisply from the white backgrounds, sometimes shown mid-action, sometimes laid out in neat rows like an old-school museum display that allows for easy cross-species comparison. The illustrations are remarkably detailed, right down to the intricate patterns on wing casings and the delicate nature of the insects' legs. The to-scale silhouettes found on the bottom of many spreads provide very helpful information (sometimes quite disconcerting -- check out the size of the violin beetle) on the range of beetle sizes. Back matter contains more facts about the featured beetles. danielle j. ford

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
Highlighting the amazing diversity of this truly fascinating insect order, the book opens with basic beetle structure and function and then covers topics such as reproduction, feeding, communication, and defense mechanisms. Jenkins's colorful cut-paper illustrations are remarkably detailed, and the to-scale silhouettes found on the bottom of many spreads provide very helpful information on the range of beetle sizes.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2005
The authors take on a familiar elementary-level science topic -- habitats -- and transform it into an appealing game of hide-and-seek. Readers start on a double-page spread portraying a desert habitat in which glimpses of animals can be seen among the cacti. Turn the page, and the plants and rocks are gone, revealing the animals in the same positions as on the previous spread. Each animal is named and accompanied by a fact, and the process is repeated for five more habitats. Additional information about the animals and each habitat are found at the back of the book. The lush cut-paper illustrations invite detailed scrutiny of the various animals' features and display the textures and variety of skin, fur, beaks, and the like. But the plants in these habitats, however inadvertently, seem to be more of a nuisance (blocking our view of the animals) than critical components of the ecosystems. This portrayal, as well as a loose definition of adaptations, leaves the door open for misconceptions about interdependence and survival in the natural world. Nevertheless, readers will be attracted to this handsome book's highly appealing and informative depictions of animal life.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2005
In an appealing game of hide-and-seek, readers look at one of eight different habitats with glimpses of animals. Turn the page, and the plants and rocks are gone, revealing the animals. The lush cut-paper illustrations invite detailed scrutiny, but the plants seem to be more of a nuisance than critical components of the ecosystems. Nevertheless, readers will be attracted to this handsome book.

(Copyright 2005 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2005
K-Gr 4 -This colorful introduction to six different biomes mixes clearly presented information with seek-and-find fun. The book opens with a glorious two-page collage made of cut and torn paper that depicts a desert in the American Southwest. Eight indigenous animals are included in the picture, but readers will have to search hard to find them as they are mostly camouflaged by cacti and rocks. On the next spread, the creatures are shown against a white backdrop; each one remains in the same position on the page, allowing youngsters to refer back and find the ones they missed. Each animal is introduced by name and given a brief yet tantalizing descriptive line. The same pattern is repeated for a tide pool on the English coast, a rain forest in the Amazon River basin, the grasslands of central Africa, an Australian forest, and a pond in the American Midwest. As an added challenge, and to make the point that ants live all over the world, one of these insects is hidden in each scene. Additional, well-chosen facts about these habitats and the depicted creatures are appended, along with an outline map of the locales. Filled with vibrant colors and palpable textures, the illustrations are breathtaking and give a real sense of the vitality, diversity, and beauty of nature. A first-rate foray into ecology that will encourage readers to explore the world around them. -"Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2005
K-Gr. 3. Jenkins and Page team up again, this time to combine vibrant paper-collage art with an I Spy game to introduce wildlife in six habitats around the world. A double-page scene offering a glimpse of the animals that appear on the following two pages introduces each habitat, accompanied by a bit of text that invites kids to look closely at the pictures. Individual animals are depicted more fully and briefly identified on a subsequent double-page spread. Proportions may confuse kids (the termite appears larger than the rhino), and naming the animals in the panoramas will be a challenge, as often only a claw or an eye peeks through the foliage. The animal illustrations are reprised in miniature at the close of the book, each one presented with brief facts in tiny type, which are apparently directed to adults or older kids sharing the book with young children. Further readings and a small map round out the text. The bright and playful design will attract an enthusiastic audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)