Who Am I?

November 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-Jenkins and Page are back with another exceptional nonfiction title for young children. This one is a playful guessing game. Children are encouraged to examine clues and guess which animal will be on the next page. This brilliant interactive format makes it a perfect read-aloud for a library storytime or a bedtime story. The book concludes with a list of interesting facts about each critter and a list of titles to support further learning. The diversity of animals featured will keeper readers anxiously waiting for which creature will appear next. Jenkins's signature illustrative style is reminiscent of Eric Carle and Lois Ehlert with its paper cutouts and textures. Readers are sure to linger on the images and appreciate the extensive craftsmanship that went into each feather and scale. VERDICT A versatile early nonfiction title that will enhance both public and school library collections and is sure to become a household favorite.-Katherine Hickey, Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2017
Disassembled animal images make a puzzle for preschoolers.Endlessly inventing new ways to organize Jenkins' realistic cut-and-torn-paper wildlife illustrations, this prolific couple here offer an identification game for very young audiences. Each puzzle takes up four pages. On the first spread are five captioned parts or characteristics of an animal: "I have...two touchy antennae, nine black spots, two delicate wings, six wiggly legs, two beady eyes, and a flower for a home. Who am I?" On the next is the reveal: "I'm a ladybug!" More information about each creature--size, likely habitat, diet, the utility of some of the chosen characteristics, and an interesting fact--is presented in the extensive backmatter, also presented in first person. There are also some suggested titles for further reading, including animal encyclopedias. The stars of this intriguing puzzle collection are an American bullfrog, cottontail rabbit, ghost crab, flamingo, great horned owl, spider monkey, and the aforementioned ladybug (ladybird beetle). As always, Jenkins' images stand out on a plain white background for ease of focus. The heavy-duty cardstock pages will stand up to repeated manipulation by small hands whose owners will want to play this game over and over. There is no dearth of animal guessing games on the market, but the thoughtful selections and careful crafting of this new one should make it a good home choice and welcome addition to any collection. (Informational picture book. 2-7)

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September 15, 2017
Preschool-G Page and Jenkins are an author-illustrator team that has created an impressive body of nature-themed children's books. Their latest nonfiction offering adopts a more unconventional format: readers are given clues about an animal before it is revealed on the subsequent page. This playful layout makes this an ideal book for read-alouds. Five clues for each animal are illustrated with artwork that focuses attention on very specific parts of its body. The clues include a range of pertinent facts about each creature, such as their physical characteristics, adaptive features, habitat, diet, and social habits. Readers will be challenged to activate prior knowledge while learning something new about common species. Additional facts about each animal are provided in a summary in the end matter. Strong visual appeal coupled with the format, which is more of a game than an exposition on animal facts, offers a delightfully fresh resource on the animal world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)