BONES written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2010. BONES. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. New York, NY. Scholastic. Inc. ISBN 9780545046510

2.    SUMMARY

Bones come in all shapes and sizes and no one gives a better illustration of that then Steve Jenkins in his latest book BONES. Jenkins shows the comparison and differences between animal and human bones with many of them depicted to scale.

Beginning with the hand and comparing it to that of a chimp, Jenkins moves through he book with comparisons of feet, femur, ribs, spine and skull from that of a human to various animals. Joints, symmetry and how the adaptations for survival are touched upon but the main focus is the skeletal system.

3.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

Words are sparse in this book but support the highly visual aspect of this book. The scale and animal counterpart are clearly labeled. Several gatefold pages are included to interact with the reader and to add additional life size bone comparisons. But, this book is not all-serious business. A grinning skull, a chimp skeleton swinging from the title page and questions to engage the reader will definitely hold the readers interest in wanting to know more. Title pages such as That's a Handful and Head Case add to the humor of the book.

Illustrations are created with a cut-paper collage technique using whites, grays and some muted yellows to depict the bones laid against solid backgrounds. This combination creates a contrasted visual appeal to the eye and gives it a nice, clean look to the content. The book becomes interactive as bones are placed in a pile and it is up to the reader to decide where they go. By opening the gatefold the reader can check their bone placement.  Other interactive elements include leading questions such as, "What Bone Is This?"With the easy to read and the visual attributes of this book, it has the ability to become a timeless reference source.

4.    REVIEWS/AWARDS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “With applications that range from anatomy to evolution and mathematics, this book will find a place in every collection.”

BOOKLIST REVIEW: “the clean design of the intricate skeletons set against solid background colors is striking and provides a wonderful visual introduction to what keeps us all upright. Thoughtful back matter probes deeper into bone-related science concepts.”

A Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2010

Society of Illustrators Original Art Show

5.  Connections

The University of Texas Anthropology Department has a website depicting animals and their skeletons. Also, located under the resource tab is the ability to print out life size human skeletons to use in classroom projects.

http://www.eskeletons.org/

The virtual Skeleton link allows you to listen to the skeletal system being explained.

http://www.medtropolis.com/VBody.asp