Creature Features: Twenty-Five Animals Explain Why They Look the Way They Do

Another superb nature book from these consistently excellent husband and wife collaborators.

I really like the question-answer format of this book. It is also a way to teach first-person point of view since the answers to the questions come from the animals themselves.

I really like the question-answer format of this book. It is also a way to teach first-person point of view since the answers to the questions come from the animals themselves.

The book’s similar structure and irreverent prose appealed to me and I think would appeal to children who liked The Day the Crayons Quit, as well as other Steve Jenkins’ books. The ripped paper portraits of each animal enhance the funny interviews. I could see ages 4 and up enjoying this book.

Show More

I think the art is the book’s greatest strength, but the interviews are so enjoyable that kids could certainly read it again and again and get new things out of the art and the text. It would be a great text to use to introduce a science unit on animal adaptation.

Show Less

A close up on 25 animals and why they have a unique feature.

This would be a great book to get students thinking about qualitative data. They can begin making observations about the different animal features talked about within the book.

A hilarious book about the fun variety of animals our world is home to! With a great sense of humor Jenkins and Page explain the oddities that are seen in the faces and bodies of some animals. I think any age of reader can enjoy the illustrations (while parents do their own narrating) and I think

Show More

older kids can enjoy the text too.

While this book is funny and playful, it's also very informative and I learned a lot!

We could use it in a 4th grade science lesson and students could also add their own creature features from an animal of their own choosing. They could do some simple research, draw their own picture, write some text, and hang it on the classroom wall.

Show Less

Fascinating! So many interesting facts about 25 interesting creatures. This would be a great book to read aloud as inspiration for students before they choose and writing a research report on an animal. It would also be a good addition to a nonfiction section of a classroom library. Some of the

Show More

questions are worded in what might be considered a "rude/teasing/mean" voice, this is my only concern. I think it would be important to have a conversation about remembering to use polite language during any inquiry/interviewing of actual people.

Show Less

Easy-to-read text and colorful illustrations examine unusual animal facial features and how they help the animals survive.