Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World [Hardcover]

Robin Page (Author), Steve Jenkins (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

The award-winning team of What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? and Move! once again create a nonfiction picture book that is amazingly beautiful, fun, and filled with all sorts of interesting facts. Here, Steve Jenkins and Robin Page investigate sibling relationships throughout the animal kingdom. In this book you will learn that anteaters are always only children and nine-banded armadillos are always born as identical quadruplets. You will also learn that falcons play-hunt in the sky and that hyena cubs fight to the death. This is the perfect book for animal lovers young and old!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 2–4—Realistic, handsome cut/torn paper collages form a visual lure for this attractive book on siblings and young in the animal world. Only children (giant anteaters), quadruplets (armadillos), families (elephants), and armies (termites) are just some of the creatures depicted and described. Brief paragraphs provide factual information on their behaviors and physical characteristics, some of which are further detailed in the "Animal Facts" pages (though the parthenogenesis of whiptail lizards is not addressed other than to mention the absence of males). Enough data is afforded to satisfy many children, and adults are offered some further readings to suggest to the insatiably curious. Eye-catching, and with an interesting approach to the animal world, this book should appeal to a wide variety of ages and interests.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Most talk about animal families focuses on the parent-child relationship, but this riveting picture book, illustrated in Jenkins’ signature style, is packed with amazing facts about how young animals nurture one other or compete for survival and leave home. Depicted in crisp, gorgeous, cut-and-torn–paper collages set against lots of white space, the subjects range from female African elephants that stay with the herd and help take care of their younger siblings, to two young grizzlies that grow up together, then fight one another until one must leave. Also pictured are millions of termite brothers and sisters, living together in a mound as tall as a four-story building. Readers will love sharing this, even if they can't sympathize with black widow spiders that eat their siblings. The sibling focus is a way to include a wealth of fascinating science, which is expanded in the detailed back matter that presents more facts about each animal. Children older as well as younger than the target audience will want to thumb through this fascinating picture book. Grades 2-4. --Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (April 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618375961
• ISBN-13: 978-0618375967
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #142,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Zoology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging nonfiction book for young children, April 7, 2008

By 

The Well-Read Child "http://wellreadchild.blo... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World (Hardcover)

Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World presents all kinds of information and fun facts about animal siblings. For example, did you know that nine-banded armadillos are ALWAYS born as identical quadruplets? Well, did ya? I bet you didn't know that there are no male New Mexico whiptail lizards or that cheetah brothers hunt together throughout their lives while the sisters separate from their families when they're two years old to start their own. Pretty cool, huh?

The book features 19 different species of animals from elephants and beavers to European shrews and giant anteaters. Splendid cut-and-torn paper collage illustrations compliment each paragraph of intriguing information, and a fun caption accompanies each illustration. I especially love the caption by the black widow spider's egg sac: "I'm having my family for dinner..." Eeeeek!

It's a challenge to write engaging nonfiction for young children, and Jenkins and Page have definitely risen to the challenge and created a book that children of all ages will enjoy. Even very young children who may not understand the text will be fascinated by the illustrations. I highly recommend this for any child who loves animals.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Filled with fascinating facts, this will capture young readers' interest, October 16, 2010

By 

Z Hayes (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World (Hardcover)

In Sisters and Brothers, authors Steve Jenkins and Robin Page provide brief yet informative and engaging descriptions of the sibling relationships of 19 animals (which include the sibling-less giant anteater) and the characteristics of their relationships. The information is presented in accessible language and has a high interest factor due to the fascinating information on each animal. For example, the giant anteater is an only child and stays with its mother for two years; young cichlids grow alongside their adopted catfish siblings; baby Nile crocodiles learn the value of cooperation since before birth; young grizzly bear cubs will fight until one leaves home to search for a different territory to call its own; and many other interesting facts make this a riveting read.

Besides describing the way these animals interact with each other, other information is also provided such as their habitats, what they eat, their reproduction, etc. The animals featured in this book are African elephants, Gould's long-eared bats, Nine-banded armadillos, New Mexico whiptail lizards, naked mole rats, termites, grizzly bears, spotted hyenas, black widow spiders, cheetahs, peregrine falcons, wild turkeys, beavers, Nile crocodiles, European shrews, great crested grebe, cichlids, Asian koels, and the Giant anteater. An engaging, informative, and fun read!