Living Color - by Steve Jenkins (Paperback)

About the Book

Jenkins, the Caldecott Honor winner for "What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?," explores just what makes the world's most eye-catching species look the way they do . . . "in living color!" Full color.

Book Synopsis

Red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, pink--animals can be startlingly colorful. Why are they found in so many shades, tints, and hues? From the scarlet ibis to the blue-tongued skink, award-winning author/illustrator Steve Jenkins depicts a whole world of colorful animals in his signature style. Living Color explores a range of animals from old favorites like the pink flamingo to rare and fascinating creatures such as the long-wattled umbrella bird and the ringed caecilian. How do the brilliant feathers, scales, shells, and skin of these animals help them survive? Find out in this strikingly beautiful book how animals use color to warn predators, signal friends, attract a mate, or hide from their enemies.

Review Quotes

"The phraseology is immediate and inviting...filled with lively, digestible tidbits...This will easily lure browsers in a range of ages..." The Bulletin 9/2007

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Jenkins once again astounds...the combination of easy-to-understand language and gorgeous illustrations makes this a prime choice for any young animal enthusiast's collection."--PW Starred, 7/16/07 Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Another amazing work by a master illustrator." SLJ Starred 10/2007 School Library Journal, Starred

It's difficult to imagine a science topic better suited to picture-book form than this one, which offers a pageant of the most stunning, vividly hued creatures on the planet. ...From the pink fairy armadillo to the purple deep-sea dragonfish, readers will be fascinated by the panoply of critters that often seem the stuff of fairy lore, and educators will applaud the clever concept of presenting survivaladaptations as a biological fashion show.
Booklist, ALA

Color becomes the organizing factor in this new exploration of the quirks of the animal world. Jenkins's design, always striking, reaches the heights of inspiration with this offering... guaranteed to be a browser's delight Kirkus Reviews

The book's real highlight, though, is Jenkins's cut-paper collage: his animals are dazzling -- vibrantly colored and detailed. For each of the featured animals, further information -- size, habitat, and diet, among other facts -- is provided in the end matter. There Jenkins also answers questions like "How is animal color created?" That's a godsend, because it's definitely the sort of thing curious young readers will ask" Horn Book

"The illustrations are done in Jenkins' signature medium...richly colored and brilliantly designed. This is a grow-with-me book." Tampa Tribune 11/18/07 Tampa Tribune

"Jenkins blends his trademark collage illustrations with snappy facts." The Washington Post 12/08/07 The Washington Post

"A terrific book for elementary schoolers." Providence Journal 12/11/07 Providence Journal --

About the Author

Steve Jenkins has written and illustrated nearly twenty 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, eyepopping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative. He lives in Colorado with his wife and frequent collaborator, Robin Page, and their children. To learn more about Steve and his books, visit www.stevejenkinsbooks.com.