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Colorful and Informative Nonfiction Picture Books Curious Kids Will Be Wild About

Posted over 3 years ago by Cindy V

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

What do you do with a tail like that? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page

It’s easy to see why "What do you do with a tail like this?" is on the 101 Picture Book Challenge list. This Caldecott Honor winning title has stunning cut-paper art by Steve Jenkins. The book has close-ups of animal noses, ears, eyes and so on. It invites readers to guess to which animal they belong. The following page reveals each animal with facts like “if you’re a jackrabbit, you use your ears to keep cool.”

Borrow it from the Library:

Informative and Colorful Nonfiction Picture Books

Steve Jenkins’ illustrations are in a bunch of excellent informational books. Here are a few favorites:

Just a Second : A Different Way to Look at Time by Steven Jenkins

j 529 Jen | Ages 4-7

This non-fiction picture book explores time and how we think about it in a different way - as a series of events in the natural world (some of them directly observable, others not) that take place in a given unit of time.

Eye to Eye : How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins

j 573.88 Jen | Ages 6-9

In this eye-popping work of picture book nonfiction, a Caldecott Honoree explains how for most animals, eyes are the most important source of information about the world in a biological sense.

Animals by the Numbers : A Book of Infographics by Steve Jenkins

j 590.72 Jen | Ages 6-9

An amazing look at numbers, facts, infographics, and the animals that inhabit them from the Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator Steve Jenkins.

Also available in eBook.

Egg : Nature’s Perfect Package by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

j 591.468 Jen | Ages 4-7

Hatching a plan for survival isn't always easy in the wild. And how animals lay, protect, and even use each other's eggs as a food source help reveal the life cycle of the natural world.

Also available in eBook.

Trickiest! : 19 Sneaky Animals by Steve Jenkins

j 591.47 Jen | Ages 6-9

Trickiest! introduces readers to some of the slyest animals on the planet, and the award-winning author and illustrator Steve Jenkins is here to show you what earned them their reputation.

Apex Predators : World’s Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present by Steve Jenkins

j 591.53 Jen | Ages 6-9

In his latest illustrated exploration of the animal kingdom, Steve Jenkins introduces readers to some of the most powerful predators in history, from the Tyrannosaurus rex to the African Siberian tiger.

Flying Frogs and Walking Fish: Leaping Lemurs, Tumbling Toads, Jet-Propelled Jellyfish, and More Surprising Ways that Animals Move by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

j 591.57 Jen | Ages 4-7

A red-lipped batfish waddles across the sea floor on its fins, searching for small sea creatures to eat. Other animals may fly or glide, or jet-propel themselves to get around. These creatures come equipped with legs, wings, or tentacles, and they often move from place to place in surprising ways.

Also available in eBook.

Deadliest! : 20 Dangerous Animals by Steve Jenkins

j 591.65 Jen | Ages 6-9

What do a cape buffalo, a king cobra, and a puffer fish have in common? They're all deadly! This installment in Extreme Animals showcases the most lethal members of the animal kingdom.

What is the 101 Picture Book Challenge?

101 Picture Book Challenge book cover collage - Toledo Lucas County Public Library

The 101 Picture Book Challenge is a list of recent and classic picture books that we think are great and want you to read. This is the latest in a series of blog posts exploring some of the things we love about these books.