From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K?A visually striking introduction to pairs of animals that are related but greatly disparate in size. A sentence offering a fact about and the size relationship between each set of creatures curves around the larger one, accentuating its shape and becoming part of the graphic design. The distinctive cut-paper collages are real showstoppers. The placement of each one against a crisp white background cleverly underscores the differences in size. For example, the tail of the great white shark is shown, and on the following double-page spread the rest of the body swims fiercely, thereby emphasizing its enormity. Through an artful use of color and texture, the marbleized skin of the python and the wrinkled hide of the crocodile seem amazingly real. In several cases, there is a playful overlapping among the animals, as when the gray wolf looks hungrily at the opossum and the tiny painted turtle swims calmly behind the huge shark. As well as offering an inventive exploration of the concepts of big and little, this title serves as an introduction to a group of animals, several of which are endangered. At the back of the book, a paragraph about each one extends the brief text.?Caroline Ward, Nassau Library System, Uniondale, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Ages 4^-7. Jenkins, whose previous picture books include Biggest, Strongest, Fastest (1995), here points out the differences in size between animals who are similar in other ways. The artwork combines cuttings of colored, textured papers to form animals that stand out strikingly against white backgrounds. Each spread features a large animal and a related smaller one: sea otter and elephant seal, Siberian tiger and Siamese cat, ostrich and ruby-throated hummingbird. One line of text comments on the two animals' sizes, habits, or habitats. The final pages include a presentation of the comparative sizes of all the animals, a paragraph of additional information about each species, and a bibliography. With its visually striking images and easily digestible bits of information, this will please both young children and their parents Carolyn Phelan