LSSL 5360 Module 4, Book Review #4 EYE TO EYE: HOW ANIMALS SEE THE WORLD by Steve Jenkins

Module 4- Non fiction- Book Review #4 EYE TO EYE: HOW ANIMALS SEE THE WORLD by Steve Jenkins

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, S. (2014). Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Eye to Eye is an informative text about different animals and their eyesight. Jenkins takes us through pages and pages of animals, with more than 100 eye balls total, of all shapes and sizes, some that can look in different directions, some that can only detect light, and many more.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In EYE TO EYE, Jenkins allows his readers to literally peer into the world of animal eyes and link us to their domain, showing us how they “communicate, find food avoid predators, or locate a mate” using their eyesight. Another non-fiction, educational read by Jenkins, it’s similar to Creature Features, with similar illustrations- big, bold, up close, and brings the eyes of each animal to the forefront of focus. He shows his readers how different capabilities make each animal unique in their own way.

I think you could incorporate this book best in a middle school classroom, perhaps for a research project or nonfiction unit where you can further explore these animals in depth. For me personally, the book left too much to be desired: I was left with interesting tidbits about each species, sure, but truly wanting more information and more detail at the end of the book.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“It’s difficult not to be drawn to this wonderful piece of informative text because the cover is covered in colorful eyes and it’s hard to resist wanting to know more.” –starred Goodreads review

*Caldecott Honor Winner
*Nerdy finalist for Non Fiction Picture Books (2014)

5. CONNECTIONS

This is a great book to teach with a  cross-curricular agenda. English and science elementary teachers would do great to team up and teach corresponding units centered around books like this one.

Readers may also enjoy Handle with Care: An Unusual Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns, and Creature Features, also written by Jenkins.

LSSL 5360 Module 4- Book Review #2 CREATURE FEATURES by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

Module 4- Non Fiction- Book Review #2 CREATURE FEATURES by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, S., & Page, R. (2014). Creature features: 25 animals explain why they look the way they do. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

This is book provides a look into 25 animal’s faces and why they look the way they do. From the Egyptian vulture to the babirusa, Jenkins and Page explain the most unique features on some of the most fascinating animals. The cut-paper art pictures give you a close up look of these funny animals’ features and help tell some very interesting and humorous facts that will keep young animal lovers intrigued from page to page.

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book didn’t really spark my interest, but for someone who is an animal-lover, they’ll love how Creature Features will take you on a memorable ride through the animal kingdom. For any young scholar who needs a little inspiration for a research project, this could be a great starting point. I enjoyed the full-page, highly detailed, and bright colored illustrations, bringing each “creature’s features” to the forefront of the reader’s focus. It’s an educational read, but it’s still fun and colorful.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

*Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee (2016)

“Twenty-five animals with unique features--a purple tongue, a colorful nose, a featherless face, a very large beak, for instance--reveal the reasons for those unusual physical aspects. By setting the book up as a short question ["Why are you so spiny?" (unpaged)], followed by a quick response, readers can gain information quickly and in an appealing fashion.” –starred Goodreads review

5. CONNECTIONS

This would be a great book to include for a research project to further explore the 25 animals in the book.

Readers may also enjoy FEATHERS: NOT JUST FOR FLYING by Melissa Stewart, or EYE TO EYE: HOW ANIMALS SEE THE WORLD, also written by Steven Jenkins.

LSSL 5360 Module 4 Book Review #1- THE RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

Module 4- Biographies- Book Review #1 THE RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet

1.  BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bryant, J., & Sweet, M. (2014). The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus. Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers.

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

Peter Mark Roget is shy young boy who finds his best companionship in books. His mother worries about how quiet and shy he is, but he has a love for the written word, and he begins making lists of these words at a very young age. “If only all the ideas in the world could be found in one place,” Bryant writes, “then everyone would have one book where they could find the best word, the one that really fit. Peter carried this idea with him like a secret treasure” (16). As Peter grew older, his lists grew too, and one day he turned those lists into one of the most important books in the world- the thesaurus!

3.  CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book was super creative, unique, and the author really tells a cool story in a very interesting way. The illustrations are rich and fun, and have a unique style to them; they look as if they have been hodge-podged together like patchwork. I think for young students, this book may be pretty relatable for them as they read about Peter, a young, shy, introverted, yet very intelligent boy. It brings about an interesting point that perhaps kids have never considered- who writes the thesaurus, the dictionary, etc? As an adult, I’m not sure I, myself, have ever pondered this thought. It’s an intriguing story-line that could certainly ignite a passion for the written word in young readers’ minds.

4.  REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Bryant again captures the essence of a complicated individual in spare and beautifully crafted text.” –starred Goodreads review

*Caldecott Honor (2015)
*Sibert Medal (2015)
*Keystone to Reading Book Award Nominee for Intermediate (2016)
*Lupine Award for Picture Book (2014)
*Kirkus Prize Nominee for Young Readers' Literature (Finalist) (2014)

5. CONNECTIONS

I think this is a perfect introduction to a unit where you teach the class about how to use a thesaurus.

If you love this book, you may also want to check out Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown.

LSSL 5360 Module 4- Book Review #3- WHAT TO DO ABOUT ALICE? by Barbara Kerley

Module 4- Biographies- Book Review #3
What to do about Alice? by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham

1.      BIBLIOGRAPHY

Kerley, B. (2010). What to do about Alice? New York, NY: Weston Woods Studios. ISBN-13:978-0-439-92231-9

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

I truly loved this book! Barbara Kerley tells a story of a strong-willed, sassy, and unique girl named Alice who “ate up the world” and drove her father, Theodore Roosevelt, crazy! This delightful picture book takes us through a journey of Alice’s life, painting a picture of her wild adventures and rambunctious personality.

3.      CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Kerley’s stylish writing tells a story of a young girl who lived her life with no apologies, “running riot” and taking the world by storm. Yet, Kerley paints a picture of a mischievous daughter that grows up to be a beloved, intelligent, and admired woman that the reader grows to love as well.

Fotheringham has a zest for witty illustrations that truly match the sass of Alice and I think really fits the time period well. I loved the cartoon-like illustrations that still have a very realistic feel, and I appreciated how well Alice’s sassy expressions were portrayed in the full-page pictures.

We also see the development of maturity where Alice starts as a young girl, left without a mother, but refuses to let anyone feel sorry for her. Kerley gracefully shows a progression in this great biography of “Princess Alice,” and in the end we read about a diplomatic, intelligent woman, still very adventurous and one-of-a-kind in every way.

I love the curriculum connections you can make in this book, and you could take a lesson so many directions in the classroom. Historically, of course, we can take a deeper look into the Roosevelt family. Also, it’s a great way to discuss women’s rights and the progression of equality of the sexes, as Alice certainly blazed a trail for women who may not fit a specific mold in history. Among other topics we could connect to, it would be a great book to just connect to the time period of the early 1900’s, during Roosevelt’s presidency and Alice’s young adult years.

4.   REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

“Fotheringham’s digital illustrations perfectly evoke the retro styles of an earlier age, depicting a confident Alice sailing through life and tackling every challenge with delight and aplomb. The illustrator takes every opportunity to develop Alice’s character further; one memorable spread shows a blandly smiling Alice leading her smaller siblings in riding trays down the White House stairs while the text merely remarks, “She watched her younger brothers and sister so her stepmother could get some rest.” It’s a gleeful celebration of a fully, unapologetically led life. (author’s note) (Picture book/biography. 5-10)” –Kirkus Review

*The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book (2009)
*Irma Black Award Nominee (2009)

5. CONNECTIONS

This is a great book for History and English lessons alike! I love the idea of using this as a unit for biographies, and tying it to a research project about Alice and the Roosevelt family.

Although I think Alice will be loved by all, another great biographical option that may appeal to your male students is Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman.