Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday
Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!
What Do You Do When Something Wants To Eat You?
Author and Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Published October 27th, 1997 by HMH Books for Young Readers
Goodreads Summary: What would you do if something wanted to eat you? Walk on water? Stick out your tongue? Play dead? Animals in the wild use all kinds of methods to protect themselves from their enemies. Using dynamic and intricate cut-paper collages, Steve Jenkins explores the many fascinating and unique defense mechanisms creatures use to escape from danger.
My Review: Steve Jenkins just has a way of making nonfiction more interesting than other authors, and this book is no different than his others. This book takes different animals and shows the different ways they protect themselves: from squirting ink to camouflage. The illustrations are done in Steve Jenkins’s paper-cut style and are done as well as his other books. The text, though simple, is full of information and definitely makes the reader want to learn more.
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book can definitely be used in reading and science class. It is a good introduction to animal defenses and animal adaptations. It can lead to inquiry and research of each of these animals. It would be a great first research project for students to choose one of the animals and learn more about them. It is also a good introduction to cause and effect. What causes _____ to need to defend themselves? What is the effect of ____ being attacked?
Discussion Questions: What type of defenses do animals use to keep themselves from being harmed?; How does camouflage work?; What causes animals to need to defend themselves? What are the effects of them being attacked?
We Flagged: “A flying fish escapes danger by leaping from the water, spreading its winglike fins, and gliding as far as a thousand feet.”
Read This If You Loved: Any Steve Jenkins book, Any Seymour Simon animal book, Lifetime by Lola M. Schaefer, Frog Song by Brenda Z. Guiberson
Recommended For:
I am doing my best to collect all of Steve Jenkins’ books. I don’t have this one yet. I completely agree – his books so capture the attention of young readers!
I’m so happy to be able to share a book with you that you didn’t know 🙂 🙂 🙂 It was a very fun one!
Hi there Kellee, I know I should get to know more of Steve Jenkins’ books, thanks to all your recommendations. Will try to find this one, the title alone is riveting.
Steve Jenkins is so great. You will really like this one 🙂