Book of Bones: 10 Record-Breaking Animals - ESSENTIAL

Balkan, Gabrielle  Book of Bones: 10 Record-Breaking Animals Illustrated by Sam Brewster PICTURE BOOK Phaidon Press, 2017. $20. Content: G. 

Ten different animals’ bones are explored in this large picture book.  The category of bones covered are the biggest bone, smallest bones, the most bones, longest neck bone, heaviest bone, lightest bones, thinnest bone, fastest-growing bone, spikiest bone, the fewest bones and human bones.  One page spread asks the question guess who has this type of bone and then it gives a paragraph and three main clues as to which animal it’s referring to.  It also shows their skeleton with a few parts labeled.  When you turn the page it shows a full color picture of the animal and has another paragraph including why their bones are interesting.  

I think this book is fantastic.  The skeletons are cool to look at and then when you turn the page the illustrated animal picture has the skeleton in a different texture so you can see how their skeleton lies within their body.  Nonfiction lovers are going to be entertained and the layout is appealing.  At the end of the book there is a glossary of words to do with bones.  

EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.