Bones: Skeletons and How They Work
A comparative, cross-species look at elements of skeletal structures features a different bony body part on each page spread, from hands (including fins and claws) to feet (including hooves, and claws again) to skulls, and much of what’s in between. The creatures compared vary from bone to bone: a human has twelve pairs of ribs, a two-toed sloth twenty-four, a small python two hundred, while turtles of all sizes have ribs that grow on the outside, fusing together to form a shell. Spine comparisons included a dog, a dolphin, a giraffe, a velociraptor, and a human (humans being the constant throughout the book). Conscientious notations of scale for bones provide additional means of comparison on some pages (the scale varies from bone to bone on others). Bright bones contrast against deeply colored backgrounds, making the details of Jenkins’s skeletal collages stand out. Catchy headings (“Some Assembly Required” for the final skeletal spread showing every bone in the human body laid out) invite smiles along with fascination, while some final facts about bones conclude this multi-jointed volume. ©2010 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-11
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Informational)
Comparisons
Publisher:
Scholastic Press
Publish Year: 2010
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9780545046510
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 573 Jenkins