Handimals

March 15, 2019
A gallery of animal portraits guaranteed to cause double takes, as they are all made up of painted human hands.Incorporating nails, knuckles, and skin textures as well as paint, Daniele crafts animal heads of startling realism, from an alpaca and a polar bear that really look furry to a chameleon on which every tiny scale shimmers with nuanced colors. Some, such as the toucan and flamingo, are composed of single hands, but most use more, topping out at the six that are intricately folded together to create a mandarin duck. Several photos are digitally assembled (in more ways than one, in the case of the giant panda, which crouches in a thicket of fingers painted like bamboo), but the artist claims that none of the original paintings are retouched. Opposite each of the 16 close-ups, general descriptions of the animal and, often, its offspring are paired to an actual nature photo that shows off the artist's attention to detail and color. Lopez adds further facts about the animals at the end, noting that nine are rated "vulnerable" or "endangered." Daniele concludes with a punchline ("we must give animals a hand if they are to survive") and a description of his working methods.A worthy successor to Mario Mariotti and Roberto Marchriori's Hanimals (1988), with a low-key message about the importance of animal conservation carried in a handful of nature notes. (Informational picture book. 5-9)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from April 15, 2019
Grades K-3 *Starred Review* You've got to give Italian artist Guido Daniele a hand or, in some cases, six for painting and turning this human appendage into incredibly lifelike animals. From the monarch butterfly, toucan, and sea turtle to the polar bear, royal python, and Komodo dragon, this informational picture book uses Daniele's Manimali, or Handimals in English, to highlight 16 threatened and endangered animal species around the world. Double-page spreads feature a full-size Handimal on one side. Some, such as the African elephant, chameleon, and moray eel, are so realistic that readers will look twice and marvel. The facing page presents a smaller photograph of the actual animal, and, not to be outdone by Daniele's work, author Lopez gives interesting descriptions of the animals' physical appearances, habitats, diets, hunting methods, migration, use of camouflage, and other characteristics. A concluding roundup offers even more facts about each animal, particularly why humans have caused it to become vulnerable and endangered. A final section with color photographs shows Daniele in action. And for readers who wonder throughout why hands?, this section also explains Daniele's message of using his art as a metaphor (humans lending a hand to animals to help them survive) and his artistic process. Plenty of animal titles abound, but few are as quirky and enthralling as this picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)