Bones

Bones:

Skeletons and How They Work

Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins has written and illustrated 30 books for young readers and is a Caldecott Honor winner for What Do you Do with a Tail Like This? written in 2008. Bones  has been recognized with the following awards: A Junior Library Guild Selection for Fall 2010, ALA Notable Books for Children 2011, 2011 SB&F Prize Finalists Children's Science Picture Book and  2010 Cybils Nonfiction Picture Book Finalists.

Bones is an informational book for young readers that compares bones from different animals. Jenkins shows specific parts like arms, feet, and ribs, as well as full skeletons. Each page tells what size the bones are shown versus actual size. For example, the thigh bones are shown one-fourth actual size. In the back there is a section called "More About Bones: Facts, Stories, History, and Science" that offers more interesting information.  


Each page shows text and pictures on dark colored backgrounds, which makes the details easier to see. The pages are well organized with a small amount of text for each bone section placed in different areas corresponding to the photo placement. There are three gateway spreads that show the skeleton of an entire python, a whole human skeleton and different skulls. The extra pages in the back discuss what bones are made of, broken bones, cyclops and unicorns, fossils, animals with skeletons on the outside, the biggest bone, the largest skeleton and sharks. My favorite section is titled "Some Assembly Required" because it shows all 206 separate bones that make up the human skeleton. Then there's a spread inside that shows the same bones as a full skeleton. 
 

The text evokes curiosity from the reader by asking questions like "Where do you think this bone belongs?" Jenkins also states that joints "move in complex ways," and an animal's skeleton is "beautifully adapted," making the reader want to find out more.

Professional Reviews for Bones:

• Booklist: "the clean design of the intricate skeletons set against solid background colors is striking and provides a wonderful visual introduction."
• School Library Journal: "...A hodgepodge of fascinating facts. With applications that range from anatomy to evolution and mathematics, this book will find a place in every collection."
• Horn Book Magazine: "Bones of all shapes and sizes glow like jewels on richly colored backgrounds, allowing readers to pore over each and every nuance of Jenkins's intricate cut-paper illustrations."

More books by Steve Jenkins
Book trailer - Bones
Interview with Steve Jenkins

Steve Jenkins. Bones: Skeletons and How They Work. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. 

ISBN 978-0-545-04651-0

 $14.52 at Barnes & Noble

Work consulted: Vardell, Sylvia M. Children's Literature in Action: A Librarian's Guide. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2008.