School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-4-Readers who have just learned about the concept of camouflage will be pleasantly startled by this book's premise. In their signature style, Jenkins and Page explain why standing out in the animal world is sometimes just as important as blending in. For purposes of mating or sending signals to an enemy, even masters of camouflage can change their behavior by puffing themselves up, inflating parts of their bodies like balloons, emitting odors, changing color, or tricking predators with fake eye spots. Leaping, dancing, and screaming are also among the many abilities explained. Fans of little-known facts will find hours of fun to be had with this volume; readers will collect information about unusual creatures such as blue-spotted mudskippers, sarcastic fringeheads, long-tailed widowbirds, and four-eyed butterfly fish. In addition, the back matter includes an encyclopedic section of entries on the animals featured along with thumbprint pictures. The glorious, eye-catching torn and cut-paper collage illustrations throughout this book are a treat. VERDICT Another beautiful, well-researched work from the reliable pair. Librarians can purchase with confidence.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Jenkins and Page, whose recent collaborations include Flying Frogs and Walking Fish (2016) and Who Am I? (2017), here introduce the concept of visual display in the animal kingdom. Double-page spreads group similar examples (the male hooded seal and the magnificent frigatebird, for example, both attract mates using inflated red skin pouches), which are explained in brief text and large illustrations. Many of the displays mentioned are courtship rituals, but others signal warnings (the hooded pitohui) or territorial defense (the blue-spotted mudskipper). Jenkins' signature cut- and torn-paper collage artwork works beautifully in these realistic portraits, in which many of the animals are posed facing the reader directly. The colors used are particularly vivid, attesting to the vibrancy of many of these displays. An appended note explains why these displays are more frequent among males (females need to stay alive to provide for babies), offers additional information about each of the cited species, and lists sources for further information. This makes an excellent choice for browsers or for classes studying animal behaviors.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2018 Booklist
