Animals in Flight

By Steve Jenkins

Jenkins, Steve. 2001.Animals in Flight. NY, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN: 0-618-12351-2

SUMMARY:

Look at wings and the creatures that have them.  Check out insects, dinosaurs, and birds to see when, why, and how they go up in the air.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Young boys will love the images of bugs included in this book.  All of the images are artwork and not actual photographs which adds a level of interest. Each page contains large images and short blurbs about many different winged creatures.  The book contains a photo dictionary at the end of the book which shows pictures and information about all the animals in the book.

The layout was a little confusing and it was hard to tell where the author was going next.  Every page was a surprise from dinosaurs to bats to insects.  A child reading this book may find the surprise to be part of the fun.

CONNECTIONS:

*What winged creatures did the book talk about, did the author miss any?

*What images does the title of the book evoke? Create a new cover for the book.

*Actual Size by Steve Jenkins

*Biggest, Strongest, Fastest by Steve Jenkins

REVIEW:

Jenkins's trademark illustrations, watercolor cut-paper collage, are perfect for this exploration of wings. From the striped, transparent wings of the ancient dragonfly to the crushed, leathery wings of the vampire bat, each illustration captures the uniqueness of the appendage it portrays.

School Library Journal