Actual Size
A Review by Amanda Kendall
Bibliography:
Jenkins, Steve. 2004. Actual Size. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 0547512910
Plot Summary:
From the two inch pygmy on the title page to the giant Gippland earthworm at the end, Actual Size features a variety of exceptionally large and unusually small creatures found all around the world. Highlighting specific features of larger critters and showcasing them to scale, the book captures the uniqueness and wonder of the animals it describes and ignites the curiosity of its reader with eye-popping illustrations and staggering statistics. This remarkable picture book concludes with a glossary of sorts, offering additional information on each animal and a matching illustration providing the reader with a clear visual of each creature.
Analysis:
Steve Jenkins has a exceptional knack for crafting informational books for young readers. His unique perspective gives readers an opportunity to see animals in exciting and unexpected ways. Actual Size is a brilliant example of how scope and perspective shapes a reader's understanding. The true to scale paper collage illustrations of a giant squid's eyeball and great white shark's teeth show the reader the immense size and magnitude of these animals. Whereas the pygmy mouse lemur's size is more fully understood when placed next to a full-scale image of a gorilla's hand. These actual size illustrations offer an unforgettable visual that cannot be captured in text alone.
Factually accurate and well organized, each page is exquisitely designed to enhance the illustration. The simple white backgrounds, expertly crafted paper collage representations of each animal, and simple and direct text adds to the power of each page. Jenkins created his images with multiple layers and textured papers to create lifelike depictions of each animal's features. With additional fold out pages to capture the full range of the saltwater crocodile and the Goliath frog, the reader is mesmerized by the presentation of each creatures unique size.
Jenkins has masterfully conveyed the actual size of each animal in a distinct and visually pleasing way that will have readers of all ages rethinking their preconceived notions of the size of many animals.
Awards & Reviews:
From Kirkus: "A new exploration of the biological world, from one of the current masters of collage..."
From School Library Journal: "A thoroughly engaging read-aloud and a must-have for any collection."
- NCTE Orbis Pictus Non-Fiction Honor Book 2005
- International Reading Association Children's Choices 2005
- ALA Top 10 Sci-Tech Books for Youth 2004
- The Children's Literature Choice List, 2005
- Editor's Choice Top of the List Winner 2004 Youth Nonfiction
- Chicago Public Library Best-of-the-Best
- Natural History Best Books for Young Readers, 2004
- A New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
- CHILD Magazine Best Book of the Year
- A Booklist Editor's Choice
- BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book
From Kirkus: "A new exploration of the biological world, from one of the current masters of collage..."
From School Library Journal: "A thoroughly engaging read-aloud and a must-have for any collection."
Connections:
More Books by Steve Jenkins:
More Books by Steve Jenkins:
- What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? 061899713X
- What Do You Do When Something Wants To Eat You? 061899713X
- Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. 0395861365
- Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. 0544709519
- Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do. 0544233514
- Burleigh, Robert. Seurat and La Grande Jatte: Connecting the Dots. 0810948117
- Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged A Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. 0547480342
- Giblin, James C. Secrets of the Sphinx. Ill. Bagram Ibatoulline. 0590098470
- Hoose, Phillip. The Race to Save the Lord God Bird. 1250073715
- Collaborate with others to create a full scale picture or model of one of the larger animals in the book to show its actual size.
- Choose a favorite creature, large or small, and create a paper collage of the creature in its entirety or just one of it's noteworthy features to scale.
- Continue research on one or several of the animals mentioned in the book using online and print resources.
- Choose a favorite personal feature and create a paper collage of that personal feature to scale.
