Living Color

Living Color explores the role of color in the animal kingdom, illustrating how creatures use pigmentation and patterns for survival, communication, and reproduction. The book presents examples of camouflage, warning signals, mimicry, and courtship displays across species. Jenkins combines scientific research with detailed cut-paper collage illustrations to demonstrate how animals perceive and utilize color in their environments. The text covers topics from basic color theory to the biological mechanisms that create animal coloration. Through examination of specific species and their color-based adaptations, the book reveals the complexity of natural selection and evolutionary development. The intersection of art and science in this work makes complex biological concepts accessible to readers of various ages and backgrounds.

Readers describe this children's science book as engaging and informative about how animals use color in nature. Parents and teachers note that the cut-paper illustrations capture children's attention while teaching concepts like camouflage, warning coloration, and color changes. What readers liked: - Clear explanations suitable for ages 6-10 - Detailed yet accessible information - High-quality paper collage artwork - Inclusion of less common animals and color facts - Index with size comparisons and habitat details What readers disliked: - Some wanted more examples for each color concept - A few found the text too advanced for younger children - Limited page count left some topics unexplored Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (487 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (58 ratings) "The illustrations are stunning and the information is fascinating," notes one teacher reviewer. A parent writes, "My science-loving 7-year-old returns to this book repeatedly and learns something new each time."

An Egg Is Quiet by Dianna Hutts Aston This illustrated science book presents the diversity of eggs in nature through detailed scientific facts and precise illustrations.

What Do You Do When Something Wants to Eat You? by Steve Jenkins Animals' defense mechanisms and survival tactics come to life through cut-paper illustrations and factual explanations.

Actual Size by Steve Jenkins Scale comparisons of animal features and body parts provide children with real-world context for understanding animal dimensions.

A Butterfly Is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston, Sylvia Long The life cycles and characteristics of butterflies unfold through scientific information and naturalist-style illustrations.

Eye to Eye: How Animals See the World by Steve Jenkins The structure, function, and evolution of animal eyes receive examination through paper collage illustrations and biological facts.

🎨 Author Steve Jenkins has created over 80 children's books about science and nature, winning multiple awards including a Caldecott Honor. 🦎 The book explores how animals use color for survival in ways beyond camouflage, including warning signals, attracting mates, and temperature regulation. 📚 Jenkins creates his signature illustrations using hand-cut, torn paper collages, giving his animal subjects striking texture and dimension. 🌈 The book reveals that some animals can see colors humans cannot, like bees seeing ultraviolet patterns in flowers and snakes detecting infrared heat signatures. 🦑 Many of the creatures featured in the book can change their colors rapidly, like the octopus which can alter its appearance in less than a second to match its surroundings.