Jenkins, Steve. Animal Facts by the Numbers. Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 2022.
Jenkins’ last By the Numbers book, Animal Facts by the Numbers, can be an entry to reading for those students who are uninterested in books with lots of text. That is not to say, however, that this title is short on information; it is packed with infographics, Jenkins signature, award-winning torn-paper illustrations, and actual size and scaled images. Students will pour over the interesting facts about the fast, slow, large, small, deadly, and long-lived animals, plus it’s a fine lesson in clear and appealing data representation.
There are seven books in the By the Numbers Series, and each is a must have for the elementary library. Share this series with students, certainly, but also share them with science, art, and math teachers.
Sadly, Jenkins passed away last winter. We will sorely miss his wonderful nonfiction titles with their remarkably realistic illustrations, and the collaborative work produced with his wife, Robin Page.
Dewey: 590 Interest Level: Grades 2-5
Older readers might like: The Octopus Scientists by Sy Montgomery (Scientists in the Field Series)
Young Adult Readers might like a more fanciful approach: Hidden Animals: A Field Guide to Batsquatch, Chupacabra, and Other Elusive Creatures by Michael Newton.
Fiction pairing: A Wolf Called Wander by Rosanne Parry
On the web:
National Geographic Kids has a world of information about animals available online complete with cool information, videos, and more.