Bones: Skeletons and How They Work

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2010. BONES: SKELETONS AND HOW THEY WORK. New York, New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 978-0-545-04651-0

2. PLOT SUMMARY                                      

At some point in the life of many adults there has been the opportunity to learn about the human body and the bones within it. In this delightful concept book Jenkins has taken the human skeleton and compared it to many different types of animal skeletons found in nature from fruit bats to T-Rex. There are many interesting facts and wonderful visuals that allow children to effortlessly compare the different features and shapes of all bones.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The flow of this book is easy and guided by many pictures starting with the comparison of large and small bones and moving into the bones of the human hand. The text is simple and informative about how bones provide shape, protection, how bones grow and how animals use the different limbs and parts of their body to accomplish different tasks. “Remove an animal’s skeleton, and it would become a helpless, squishy sack of skin.”

Jenkins uses vibrant background colors to accentuate the yellow, grey and white tones of the bones on the pages and he also includes large white print to label and describe the bones. There are fold out pages of different animals and their bones to make the book more interactive. The book starts with a single finger bone and builds up to an entire human skeleton showing where the bones fit and work together.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

BOOKLIST: “…the clean design of the intricate skeletons set against solid background colors is striking and provides a wonderful visual introduction to what keeps us all upright.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “…bones are given an entertaining and fresh treatment. Beginning with the opening spread of life-sized animal bones, human bones are quantified and qualified.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Invite children to draw their own pictures of bones and discuss how bones help

*Other concept books about the human body:

Sweeney, Joan. ME AND MY AMAZING BODY. ISBN: 978-0375806230

Vriesenga, Daryl. HUMAN BODY, GRADES 5-8: 100+ REPRODUCABLE ACTIVITIES. ISBN: 978-0880128278