Zoo-ology

ANNOTATION

Brief text and illustrations introduce over three hundred animals, from aardvark to zebu.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Brief text and illustrations introduce over three hundred animals, from aardvark to zebu.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

With its imposing trim size (nearly 13" 18"), this striking volume is almost literally a book to get lost in. Jolivet (Alphablock) matches the grandeur of the scale with large, dramatic illustrations of animals, insects and the like, at least 30 per spread, for a total exceeding 350 species. Working with a zoology consultant from the French National Museum of Natural History, the artist (who is French) groups the creatures by a stimulating variety of themes: natural habitat ("Hot"; "Cold"; "Freshwater"; "In the seas"), appearance ("Feathered"; "Horned"), size ("Large and small"), etc. These categories appear in modest type at the bottom right-hand corner of each spread, inviting readers to find for themselves what the assembled birds and beasts have in common. Jolivet also encourages close scrutiny by challenging kids to find the chameleon (yes, it changes color) planted in each spread. But even without these extra incentives, the audience will almost certainly want to scrutinize the art. Rendered in harmonious combinations of strong, vibrant colors, thickly outlined, the illustrations look like woodcuts, dazzlingly printed on soft yellow ground in dynamic arrangements. The name of each species is set in thin type, curving to mirror the angle of, say, the giraffe's neck or the head of a triggerfish. Four pages of endmatter index the represented species and supply additional information about each. Big as this book is, it will more likely whet than sate readers' appetites. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

In this oversized animal book (12 3/4 x 17 3/4 inches), kids will meet an incredible variety of animals. The approach is interesting. It groups animals by certain characteristics. For example, it opens with the word "hot" on a spread and then the pages are filled with animals that you would find in a hot climate￯﾿ﾽiguana, meerkat, lion, dromedary and so on. Each animal is recognizable and outlined in black with a colored wash￯﾿ﾽwhile not photographic in representation, the distinguishing features of each animal are clearly highlighted be it color, spots, stripes, or shape and each is labeled should there be any doubt. The scenes change and kids meet animals that like cold weather, are feathered, have horns, live in freshwater, trees, seas, on the seabed floor, are active at night and are black and white. It is an arrangement that makes you think and more so because the animas do appear in more than one category. The closing pages present an alphabetic list of the animals, a little snippet of information and the page reference(s) where each can be seen. If you are into animal trivia or just plain curious, this is a fascinating book; especially for kids not ready for encyclopedias. Its large size makes it appropriate to put on the floor or a table since it is way to heavy and awkward for small hands. Prepared in consultation with Emanuelle Grundman of the French National Museum of Natural History, kids who subsequently go to zoos or animal parks should have a lot of fun naming the animals they have seen depicted in this book. 2003, Roaring Brook/Millbrook Press, Ages 4 to 8.

School Library Journal