Genre 4 - Informational Text Book 3

Informational Text-Book Review

Biggest, Strongest, Fastest

By: Steve Jenkins

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 1995. Biggest, Strongest, Fastest Ill. By Steve Jenkins. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0395697018.

PLOT SUMMARY

Did you know that an Etruscan shrew is the world’s smallest animal? “He can even sleep in a teaspoon” In the book “Biggest, Strongest, Fastest,” Steve Jenkins explores the animal kingdom by looking at fourteen different animals and how they standout in our world. In this concept book he looks at remarkable animals facts such as the longest, smallest, fastest, tallest or even strongest animals on record. Kids will enjoy learning and comparing each animal’s special feature with factual graphics.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Steve Jenkins' kid friendly, amazing fact book presents information in just the right dosage for young readers. He has the ability to reach a variety of readers. He appeals to the youngest readers with his simple one sentence descriptions which are easy to understand like "the sun jelly fish is the world’s longest animal.” He gives the older children something to think about by offering inset comparisons in each corner the page for example, “Sun jellyfish have tentacles over 200 hundred feet long. They drag these poisonous filaments through the water to stun fish, which they then catch and eat.”

Jenkins accurate information is backed with an extensive bibliography list. He shows that he understands a child’s mind by offering an appended chart with further details of where these animals can be found or what their diets include.

Steve Jenkins has created visually appealing illustrations by offering the reader two page spreads of cut-paper collages. These large page displays brings home the powerful characteristic the animal has to offer. The most meaningful, educational experience Jenkins offers the reader is the bold, black graphics inset on each page. These graphics take into count the presented textual fact and makes meaningful, authentic and concrete connections for the reader.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

-Children’s Literature-“Cleverly done and sure to appeal to both the littlest and biggest of readers.”
-BookList Review-“Here’s proof that power isn't just about size and that science can be a lot of fun.”

CONNECTIONS
This is great story to connect to a math lesson in authentic form by calculating the facts give (An ant can lift 5x his weight) and posed with a new probe(If you weigh 70 lbs. if you had an ant’s strength what could you lift?

Other Books By The Author:

-Jenkins, Steve. Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest. ISBN 0395899990.

-Jenkins, Steve. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? ISBN 0618256288