REVIEW: NONFICTION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Jenkins, Steve. 2003. Actual Size.
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
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