Module 11: Informational Books

Sometimes I think informational books for kids are more interesting than the ones for adults. One example of this would be Actual Size by Steve Jenkins.

In Actual Size, Jenkins uses torn paper collages to create animals in their actual size. For some animals, like termites and the dwarf goby fish, it is amazing to see how tiny they actually are. However, page size doesn't keep Jenkins from portraying large animals, such as the giant octopus whose 12-inch diameter eye is the only thing that would fit on the page spread. Jenkins provides a brief description of the animal on its page and provides further description of all of the animals pictured in the back of the book.

This book is excellent for younger readers. Most kids will never see many of the animals pictured in the book, but Jenkins allows them to have a personal look and make comparisons between the size of the animal and themselves. For example, I don't think anyone, adult or child, could resist putting their hand up to the gorilla's on the cover.

"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." -- School Library Journal

"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." -- Booklist

A great idea for using this book in the library would be to tell kids they were going to make torn paper collages like Jenkins does, but the actual size picture they'll be will be of themselves. They would help trace outlines of each other, then use torn paper to fill in their faces, skin, and clothes.