Why Do Elephants Have Big Ears?
by Steve Jenkins (Author)
Fascinating "Why" questions about animals, and plenty of new ones, take center stage in the latest book by Caldecott Honor-winning duo Steve Jenkins and Robin Page.
Do you know why a camel has a hump? A Zebra has stripes? Or why wombats have cube-shaped poop?
Find out the answers in this fun and beautifully illustrated book, and learn oodles of other intriguing facts about the animal world. It's the perfect gift for any kid who loves animals and is always asking "Why?" because who doesn't want to know why a flamingo stands on one leg?
Steve Jenkins and Robin Page have written and illustrated almost 100 nonfiction children's books that have sold over 5 million copies between them. Masters at making nonfiction entertaining and visually engaging, their books have won numerous awards and are favorites of kids, parents, and teachers alike.
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Kirkus Reviews
Absorbing and enlightening.
School Library Journal
Gr 1-4--Another highly engaging, fact-filled, and fascinating look into the world of animals from celebrated collaborators. The visuals, stunning collages that bring the featured animals right off the page, are both captivating and informative. The text focuses on high-interest, student-friendly questions ("Why do wombats have cube-shaped poop?), and the answers are delivered in conversational, memorable language. Teachers in an animal unit could use the questions to activate student thinking prior to reading the short but detailed answers that are further expanded upon in the back matter. VERDICT Readers will find the menagerie of animals covered acutely interesting and the art will draw in animal lovers of all ages. Highly recommended.--John Scott
Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
Economic, conversational text answers a straightforward query on each page of this signature-style q&a book from Page and the late Jenkins (What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?). About the titular question, "African elephants live in a hot climate, and they need a way to cool off. Their huge ears act like radiators, shedding excess heat." Meanwhile, evocatively textured, ingeniously framed digital collages spotlight the animals. One spread zooms in on a zebra's back, which seems to ripple across the pages. Later, a giant squid's smoky black pupil, shown surrounded by a yellow-green cornea, pops out from the verso, while the recto shows the creature's dappled blood-orange skin. As the title indicates, many questions are standard issue for the format, but a focus on unusual animals and intriguing traits-- the aye-aye's long middle finger, the wombat's "cube-shaped poop"--coupled with the stunning graphics, make this a fitting addition to the collaborators' oeuvre. Each page includes a proportional human-to-animal diagram; back matter builds on the text. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) ■
Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Steve Jenkins (1952-2021) wrote and/or illustrated more than 80 books over his long career, selling over 5 million copies. His books have been translated into 19 languages and have won numerous awards including a Caldecott Honor, two NYT Best Illustrated and a Boston Globe-Hornbook award. His most well-known books include: What Do You Do With a Tail Like This, Actual Size, Move! and Biggest, Strongest, Fastest. Many of his books he co-wrote with his wife and creative partner, Robin Page. His books, illustrated with his signature cut-and-torn paper art, have been called: stunning, eye-popping, inventive, gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary, playful, irresistible, compelling, engaging, accessible, glorious, and informative.
Robin Page has written and illustrated several picture books including many with her husband, Steve Jenkins. These include the Caldecott Honor winner What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?, Creature Features, and The Shark Book. She is also the solo creator of A Chicken Followed Me Home! and Seeds Move!, and The Beak Book. Robin works out of her studio in Boulder, Colorado.
