The Animal Book by Steve Jenkins

There are way too many pictures in this post. For real. But this is a long book and it is full of all kinds of delightful animal pictures! So it was hard to limit myself.

Steve Jenkins art is done using cut paper, which makes it all the more impressive! Actually I would still be impressed if he drew these, since I can't do either. But cut paper requires a lot of patience. All those itty bits!

Aren't the colors vibrant? 

This is a pretty big book and there are a lot of full page illustrations, so those animals are BIG. 

Isn't this a friendly looking bear? 

Beetles in all their beauty. 

Jenkins talks about different aspects of animal life on each two page spread. 

There is a lot of science and biology here, which delights my nerdy self! 

Do you see those eyelashes?!

Daddies and their babies!

Babies in general

Gestation periods--elephants always win. 

Animals fighting techniques

How cool is this here grasshopper? It is giant.

Animal superpowers

Food web

I love food webs! Such intricacy! 

These here animals acquire poison from the things they eat. And that blue frog can kill 20 people. So steer clear of blue frogs. 

Large, ugly animals that we don't hang out with anymore.

Tiger, Tiger burning bright...

Teeny things, life size

Who lives the longest?

Longevity

As if that wasn't enough information for you, you can turn to the back and Jenkins will tell you a bit more about the animals on every page. 

The things that can harm animals and how to avoid them harming animals.

And then a visual bibliogrpahy (mixed with biography) of Steve Jenkins. 

This is such an amazing book! If you like animals and facts, this book will delight you no end! 

How This Book Was Made by Mac Barnett & Illus by Adam Rex

This is a crazy, kid friendly look at the world of book publishing! 

It makes me laugh.

Mac Barnett and Adam Rex are both big names in the kids book world and this collaboration did not disappoint. 

How does a book begin? As an idea!

Ideas can come even when you are arm wrestling a tiger!

His editor always eats fancy lunches. Which apparently include nibbling on roses. 

I get a big kick out of this editor.

The editor sends back his first draft. He sends a second draft. The editor asks why didn't you do what I told you? And this conversation ensues. 

And I said well let's agree to disagree. 

And she said let's agree with me. 

And I said you're not the boss of me. 

 This is one of my favorite parts. I would imagine this is how a lot of writers feel about their editors. Although at the end of the book, they are always thanking their "fabulous editors" so maybe not. 

The script crossed the country a lot. 

Until most of the United States of America was crossed out. 

Many Americans were not happy about this. 

And then the illustrator comes into play. An illustrator who was taking naps and throwing cards in a hat instead of drawing the book.

I love how outrageous this book is, while also giving kids a real perspective on the publishing world. 

Some of the illustrations are photographs of illustrations, which is fun.

The silliness of sending the boook to Malaysia to be printed.

Dumping in the content. 

The book is seen by astronauts, left behind by plundering pirates who do not read, lost by a truck driver and a poker playing grandmother before it finally gets to the shelf in a bookstore where it waits...

...for you, the reader. 

Do all the good you can John Wesley (Katharine Paterson) & Illus by Pamela Dalton

I have been a slacker here this week. So here are some lovely poems and quotes about kindness.

Do all the good you can

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can, 

In all the places you can, 

To all the people you can, 

As long as ever you can.

                          John Wesley

Take a good gander at the illustrations. That is cut paper. Yep. Paper. Can you imagine the vast quantity of patience that would require?!?

Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world. 

Desmond Tutu

These are all from a book called Giving Thanks and is collected by Katherine Paterson. It is full of lovely quotes and sayings.