Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World - Hardcover

Jenkins, Steve

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0547959079 ISBN 13: 9780547959078

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2014

Synopsis

From Caldecott Honor–winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins comes a series of animals with unusual eyes in this eye-catching picture book!

In his eye-popping work of picture book nonfiction, Jenkins explains how for most animals, eyes are the most important source of information about the world in a biological sense.

The simplest eyes—clusters of light-sensitive cells—appeared more than one billion years ago, and provided a big survival advantage to the first creatures that had them. Since then, animals have evolved an amazing variety of eyes, along with often surprising ways to use them.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Jenkins wrote and illustrated many nonfiction picture books for young readers, including the Caldecott Honor Book What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? His books have been called stunning, eye-popping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative.

Reviews

Gr 3–6—The ability to perceive light and dark first developed in simple animals approximately 600 million years ago. Since that time, multiple variations of eyes have evolved from four main types: eyespot, pinhole, compound, and camera. Toward the end of the book, Jenkins devotes a page to describing the "evolution of the eye," enabling readers to easily follow the changes. Jenkins's outstanding torn- and cut-paper illustrations offer a fascinating look at these important organs, which range in size from the tiniest holes (starfish) to basketballs (colossal squid). Eyes not only allow animals to find food and avoid predators but can also assist in swallowing food and aid in attracting a mate. Large, colorful pictures of more than 20 animal eyes are accompanied by a small illustration of the entire creature and a brief paragraph of intriguing information (for example, as a halibut ages, one eye moves until both end up on the same side of its head, the panther chameleon can operate both eyes separately, and the hippopotamus has a clear membrane that enables it to see while underwater). Animal facts, a bibliography, and a glossary round out this slim volume that will captivate readers of all ages.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI

This attractive, large-format volume introduces eyes in the animal kingdom. Large, colorful, and sometimes arresting, the illustrations will draw many young children, but they will find the vocabulary and concepts challenging. While the introduction briefly discusses the history and types of eyes, it does not provide the basic background that kids will need to understand the information given later. A typical entry features one animal on a page or a double-page spread. Jenkins seeks to amaze and inform with factoids, such as that the basketball-sized eyes of the colossal squid can detect the faint glow of tiny bioluminescent creatures when they are disturbed by an approaching sperm whale, the squid’s archenemy. The writing seems complex for the intended audience, but the artwork is handsome and well composed; each image is a subtle, intricate paper collage. There’s no indication of the animal’s actual size until the back matter. Still, browsers will enjoy the illustrations, while teachers might find this a useful visual resource for showing a wide variety of animal light-sensors and eyes. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0547959079
• ISBN 13: 9780547959078
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jenkins Steve
• Number of pages: 32