Review Non-Fiction--Jenkins, Steve--Actual Size

REVIEW: NONFICTION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2003. Actual Size. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0618375945

PLOT SUMMARY

“Actual Size” has large vibrant illustrations and descriptions of rare animals and insects such as atlas moth, giant squid, Alaskan brown bear, ostrich, giant anteater, goliath birdeater tarantula, “that is actually big enough to catch and eat birds”, saltwater crocodile, goliath frog, pygmy mouse lemur, Siberian tiger, giant walking stick, African elephant, and giant Gippsland earthworm. In some cases, the author presents a body part, like a gorilla’s hand and mouth and teeth of a white shark. In addition, the author presents the height, and/or weight of the animals.

Jenkins not only introduces students to a variety on animals, but also presents those animals, or their body parts, at their actual size.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Steve Jenkins uses actual size illustrations to draw the children’s interest. Students can use their hands to make personal comparisons with the illustrations. The fold out page with a 36 inch frog stretched across gives a wonderful perspective of how large the animals are. The interesting facts and physical dimension of each animal or insect add pizzazz to the pages. This is definitely a personalized tour with little known facts.

The cut paper and torn collage makes the drawings eye-catching. Some of the illustrations display the entire animal at actual scale. Other illustrations only feature what fits on the page (e.g., an African elephant's foot). The design of the book is artful and makes the book exciting, and easy to read.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal, 06/01/2004

PreS-Gr 5 –In striking torn-and-cut paper collages, Jenkins depicts 18 animals and insects–or a part of their body–in actual size. One illustration compares an atlas moth with a 12-inch wingspan to a dwarf goby fish, which is 1/3-inch long. The eye of a giant squid, at a foot across, occupies a spread to terrific effect; only the snout and tongue–curling its two-foot length across two pages and littered with termites–are visible in the picture of the giant anteater. The hand of a gorilla fills a page opposite the entire pygmy mouse lemur with its tiny human-fingertip-sized palm. The saltwater crocodile grows to 23 feet, so tremendous that its head occupies a three-page foldout. On the reverse side is the rat-eating Goliath frog, a staggering 36 inches long in full hop. One or two lines of text briefly introduce each animal and give specific measurements, e.g., the gorilla stands 5 ½ feet tall and weighs 600 pounds, while the mouse lemur is 2 ½ inches tall and weighs 1 ounce. The end matter offers full pictures of the creatures and more details about their habitats and habits. Mixing deceptive simplicity with absolute clarity, this beautiful book is an enticing way to introduce children to the glorious diversity of our natural world, or to illustrate to budding scientists the importance of comparison, measurement, observation, and record keeping. A thoroughly engaging read-aloud and a must-have for any collection.–Dona Ratterree, New York City Public Schools School Library Journal, A Reed Business Information Publication

BookList, 05/15/2004

Gr. 1-3. As in many of his previous bestiaries, including the Caldecott Honor Book What Can You Do with a Tail Like This? (2003), Jenkins' newest presents a parade of cut-paper animals, each accompanied by a pithy line of text. The difference here is the scale: everything appears at actual size. Jenkins' masterstroke, though, is his inclusion of creatures both great and small, so while petite critters fit comfortably within 12-by-20-inch spreads, larger ones appear as evocatively cropped bits and pieces: a gorilla's massive hand; a Siberian tiger's snarling mug; the unnerving, basketball-size eye of a giant squid. The resulting juxtapositions will leave children marveling at one species' daintiness, then shuddering as they mentally sketch in the unseen portions of more formidable beasts. Jenkins' artwork is gorgeous (a gatefold of a frog in midleap is particularly memorable), and, at the end of the book, thumbnail images of the featured animals paired with information about habitat and behavior put the piquant visuals into a broader context. An unusual, unusually effective tool for connecting children to nature's astonishing variety. -- Jennifer Mattson. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

Kirkus Reviews, 05/01/2004

A new exploration of the biological world, from one of the current masters of collage, features life-size—not scaled—representations of the extremes of the animal kingdom. Wonderfully textured collages are set against a white background, accompanied by a minimal text gloss about the animals, and their sizes. Some are so huge that only parts can be seen (the one-foot-diameter eye of a giant squid) and others require some squinting (the 1/3-inch dwarf goby). It's a fascinating subject, and one that will resonate with an audience for whom relative size is a matter of daily interest. Jenkins exploits it for all its worth, including a fold-out of a crocodile's jaw and a snarling tiger whose face spills off the page. Four concluding pages provide more information about the featured animals, along with reasonably sized, full-body reiterations of the illustrations. Sadly enough, however, in a book that is so intimately concerned with measurement, only English units are used, seemingly ignoring the fact that the metric system is the universal language of science worldwide. A regrettable flaw in an otherwise outstanding offering. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-12) Copyright 2004, VNU Business Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved

CONNECTIONS

This book can be used as a read aloud to children of all ages.

The book can be used for discussion about other rare animals.

Other similar books about Steve Jenkins:

Prehistoric Actual Size 0395942187

Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest 0395899990

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This 0618256288

Books by other authors with illustrations by Steve Jenkins:

Animal Dads by Sneed B. Collard III 0-395836212

Into the A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet by Deborah Lee Rose 0439096960

Rain, Rain, Rain Forest by Brenda Guiberson 0805065822

Review Non-Fiction--Murphy, Jim--An American Plague

REVIEW: NONFICTION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague. The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395776082

PLOT SUMMARY

In the hot summer of 1793, the city of Philadelphia is struck by a disease called yellow fever that describes the color of the bodies of the patients wrecked with fever. Well-to-do residents escape to the countryside and fresh air. Most of the people, who can not afford to leave, die horrible deaths as they are ravaged by the disease.

Dr. Benjamin Rush finds that administering poison to force the body to evacuate the toxins and bloodletting helps to treat yellow fever patients. He is so aggressive in this therapy that there are not enough containers to accommodate the blood of the patients. The doctor and his numerous assistants start perform bloodletting outside and let the blood run through the streets.

As the dead bodies pile up, most of the city services break down, a few heroes emerge to handle the crisis. These include some members of the black community, two or three doctors, and a handful of civic leaders.

Mathew Carey, a publisher writes a best-selling book on November 13, 1793 in which he criticizes blacks as being vile and taking advantage of the situation to extort money from the sick. The members of the Free African Society, Jones and Allen, are shocked and angered by Carey’s comments and decide to write a book of their own in January 1794 to counter Carey’s accusations.

The final chapter discusses the role of infected mosquitoes in the spreading of the yellow fever and other viruses. There is a special section with sources divided into medical, yellow fever, doctoring in the old days, Philadelphia, George Washington, Blacks in Philadelphia, Mosquitoes, and Plagues.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Murphy uses compelling narrative to make history come alive by using firsthand accounts, excerpts from letters, memoirs, journals, diaries, and recollections, of people who were actually there. These voices encourage readers to experience events as if they were actually there. The author displays the best and worst of humanity. He recreates the fear and panic that swept through the city of Philadelphia in 1793.

Murphy uses graphic terms to describe the various stages of the yellow fever disease. “The matter ejected [from the stomach] was of a dark color , resembling coffee grounds, sometime mixed with blood; great flatulency; haemorrhages from different parts of the body; tongue frequently covered over with blood…; urine very offensive”. The book injects first-hand anecdotes to impart information about yellow fever.

“An American Plague” includes social, historical, and political events in the country at that time. One of the political issues discussed is the treatment of blacks during and after the disaster. At the time, there was a mistaken assumption that blacks were immune to yellow fever. The historical anecdote describes how many blacks nursed the dying and were later vilified for their effort. The book also deals with medical beliefs and practices in the 18^th Century.

In addition, the author uses first-hand accounts to describe the Constitutional crisis that President Washington faces when he is forced to leave the city and all the official documents to avoid the deadly disease.

The black and white facsimiles of art, copies of newspaper articles, and the list of the dead people interlaced with facts creates a journal of the yellow fever outbreak from the beginning to the end. The sources at the end of the book result in a factual and credible account of events. The organization of data is clear and sequential.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal, 06/01/2003

Gr 6-10 –If surviving the first 20 years of a new nationhood weren't challenge enough, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, centering in Philadelphia, was a crisis of monumental proportions. Murphy chronicles this frightening time with solid research and a flair for weaving facts into fascinating stories, beginning with the fever's emergence on August 3, when a young French sailor died in Richard Denny's boardinghouse on North Water Street. As church bells rang more and more often, it became horrifyingly clear that the de facto capital was being ravaged by an unknown killer. Largely unsung heroes emerged, most notably the Free African Society, whose members were mistakenly assumed to be immune and volunteered en masse to perform nursing and custodial care for the dying. Black-and-white reproductions of period art, coupled with chapter headings that face full-page copies of newspaper articles of the time, help bring this dreadful episode to life. An afterword explains the yellow fever phenomenon, its causes, and contemporary outbreaks, and source notes are extensive and interesting. Pair this work with Laurie Halse Anderson's wonderful novel Fever 1793 (S & S, 2000) and you'll have students hooked on history.–Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA School Library Journal, A Reed Business Information Publication

BookList, 06/01/2003

Gr. 6-12. History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures. With archival prints, photos, contemporary newspaper facsimiles that include lists of the dead, and full, chatty source notes, he tells of those who fled and those who stayed--among them, the heroic group of free blacks who nursed the ill and were later vilified for their work. Some readers may skip the daily details of life in eighteenth-century Philadelphia; in fact, the most interesting chapters discuss what is now known of the tiny fever-carrying mosquito and the problems created by over-zealous use of pesticides. The current struggle to contain the SARS epidemic brings the "unshakeable unease" chillingly close. -- Hazel Rochman. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

Publishers Weekly, 03/10/2003

In marked contrast to the clipped, suspenseful pace of his Inside the Alamo (reviewed above), Murphy here adopts a leisurely, lyrical tone to chronicle the invisible spread of the deadly disease that not only crippled Philadelphia (then the temporary capital of the U.S.) but also set off a constitutional crisis. The author evokes the stifling August heat as well as the boiling controversy surrounding President Washington's decision not to support the French in the war against Britain. The residents, so distracted by the controversy, did not take note of the rising numbers of dead animals lying in open "sinks," or sewers; swarms of insects festering, and a growing population of ill citizens climbing until the church bells tolled grim news of death almost constantly. Murphy injects the events with immediacy through his profiles of key players, such as local doctors who engaged in fierce debates as to the cause, treatment and nature of the "unmerciful enemy"—among them the famous Benjamin Rush. The text documents many acts of heroism, including the Free African Society's contributions of food, medicine and home care: the Society was rewarded afterwards only with injustice. Archival photographs and facsimiles of documents bring the story to life, and a list of further reading points those interested in learning more in the right direction. This comprehensive history of the outbreak and its aftermath lays out the disputes within the medical community and, as there is still no cure, offers a cautionary note. Ages 10-14. (Apr.) Publishers Weekly, A Reed Business Information Publication

CONNECTIONS

This is a good informational book for young adults.

Invite children to research other viruses such as SARS, Marburg and Ebola

Encourage children to read other historical books by Jim Murphy.

Other historical books by Jim Murphy:

The Boys’ War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War. 0785709509

The Long Road to Gettysburg. 0613300106

A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as experienced by one. 0613376862

Similar books by other Authors:

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. 034085409X

Give me Liberty! The story of the Declaration of Independence by Russell Freedman. 0823414485

The Story of George Washington by Patricia A. Pingry. 0824941888

Review Non-Fiction--Seymour, Simon--The Brain

REVIEW: NONFICTION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Seymour, Simon. 2003. The Brain. Our Nervous System. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0688146414

PLOT SUMMARY

“The Brain” is an informational book about the human Brain and the nervous system. The book describes and illustrates microscopic cells and nerves. It explains how electrical impulse triggers the release of a chemical and passes signals to next nerve cell and eventually to the brain. The brain responds and sends a message to the spinal cord to create movement. The author describes the brain as being “about the size of a grapefruit” and “looks like wrinkled blob of pinkish gray jelly.” Medical terms such as cerebrum, cerebellum, thalamus, and hypothalamus are explained in detail. The author describes the spinal cord as “starting out as a thick white rope and ending as a thin thread.” Short-term and long-term memories are discussed. The book concludes with descriptions of procedures such as electroencephalograph (EEG) and positron computed tomography (PCT) to find out what is happening in the brain and the nervous system.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The large lifelike full-page illustrations with gory details will appeal to the young readers. The details in the drawings are meticulous and intricate. I found the picture of the spinal cord especially fascinating. The explanations relate to real life incidents. For example, the author states that when you touch something, your brain tells you how hot it is. On the next page there is an illustration of a man touching a hot pot. The nerves in the arm are colorful and clearly visible. The author displays the route of the single message as it moves through millions of nerve cells from the finger to the brain. The words are simple and the sentences are short.

One can feel Seymour’s passion and enthusiasm about the subject matter as he describes, in detail, every aspect of the brain and does not assume that the student has prior knowledge. He breaks medical terms into smaller words to make the material comprehensible. For example, in the Latin word hypothalamus, hypo means “under” and thalamus means inner room. Therefore, the word hypothalamus means “under the inner room”. His descriptions are vibrant and create an image in the reader’s mind. When describing the size, the author compares the hypothalamus to a small bean. The large font displays the material in an organized and uncluttered format. Overall, the writing style and the illustrations are clear, lively, and interesting will appeal to readers of all ages.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal, 08/01/1997

Gr 3-6?In this most recent effort, Simon brings his deft touch to an explanation of the brain and the nervous system. His clear, concise writing style is complemented by stunning color images taken with radiological scanners, such as CAT scans, MRIs, and SEMs (scanning electron microscopes.) Included in his explanation are descriptions of the anatomy and function of the parts of the brain, long and short term memory, neurons, dendrites, and more. The layout is familiar?a page of text facing a full-page photo. There is no glossary or index, but, as usual, the book is so well organized that they won't be missed.?Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, NY

BookList, 08/01/1997

Gr. 3-6. The second book in the series that began with The Heart: Our Circulatory System (1996), this book features images of the human brain and nervous system accompanied by lucid text explaining their anatomy and functions. Pictures include computer-generated scans, a diagrammatic painting, and many photographs, some greatly enlarged and color enhanced. The vivid illustrations catch the eye, but the clearly written text provides a fuller understanding of what happens in various parts of the brain and nervous system. The relatively large print and generous use of white space make the text look easy, though the occasional use of white print on black pages is a bit harder to focus on. Simon's way of explaining what's happening in everyday terms enhances the book's readability. Attentive readers will be rewarded with a dramatic portrait of what Simon calls "the control center for everything you do." ((Reviewed Aug. 1997)) -- Carolyn Phelan. Booklist, published by the American Library Association.

Kirkus Reviews, 07/15/1997

What does a neuron look like up close? Simon (The Heart, 1996, etc.) provides a computer-colored micrograph of neurons taken by an electron microscope magnified 20,000 times. He goes on to explain how billions and billions of neurons link up the body network nervous system connecting brain and nerves throughout the body, making thought, memory, movement, and other functions possible. The author includes information on new scientific equipment and techniques in a difficult text that requires careful, repeated reading, e.g., ""This positron computed tomography (PCT) photo uses radioactive tracers in blood sugar to show two different levels of visual stimulation in the brain."" Full-color photographs, computer simulations, drawings, and three-dimensional models are used to grand effect to clarify, explain, and celebrate the remarkably complex system of brain and nerves; the large format, often with white type on black paper and full-page photos, is visually striking. Those who persevere (with no glossary or index to guide them) will appreciate this fascinating title, a case in which the picture-book format works perfectly to complement text with illustrations, but by no means indicates simplicity. Copyright 2003, VNU Business Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved

CONNECTIONS

This is a good book to use as a supplement to teach science to ESL students and young children.

Get students to check out and read on their own different series from the school or public libraries.

Other books about the body by Simon Seymour

Bones. Our Skeletal System. 9780688146450

Eyes and Ears. 9780688153045

Muscles. Our Muscular System. 9780688146436

Other similar books by different authors

The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole 0590414275

The Respiratory System by World Books Human Body Works 0716644282

The Digestive System/The Urinary System by World Books Human Body Works 0716644290