Dogs and Cats

BIBLIOGRAPY
Jenkins, Steve.2007. DOGS AND CATS. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618507671

PLOT SUMMARY
In this fun and inventive book, Steve Jenkins appeals to both dog and cat lovers at the same time. Readers can view one side and read about dogs and then flip the book over and read about cats. Jenkins book features information about different breeds of cats and dogs, interesting facts and details about their behavior, and historical information as well.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
There are many books about dogs and cats, but Steve Jenkins work stands out in many ways. The reader can read about dogs and then flip the book over to read about cats. The cover of the book even changes for the preference of the reader by showing a cat on one side and a dog on the other. Another way this work stands out against others is the interactive nature of the book. Alongside the text, interesting facts and trivia jump out at the viewer enticing them on a journey to read the text in a non-linear way. Many non-readers, will be surprised, when finished with the book that they have indeed read a book!
Steve Jenkins, not only wrote this attention capturing book, but illustrated it as well. Jenkins illustration of puppies and kittens are adorable and so life-like that readers can't help but be drawn to their images. Also, the depictions of the different breeds serve as a helpful example of the different breeds of dogs and cats and give insight to the wonderful characteristics and intrinsic behaviors of dogs and cats.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “This could have been just another book about pets, albeit with a clever gimmick (after reading about one of the species, youngsters can flip the volume over to learn about the other). However, Jenkins has created a book that reaches beyond the mundane and into the spectacular. The two halves of this whole are intertwined throughout. In the part about dogs, cat icons serve as teasers for the other section, and vice versa. The two halves meet in the center with a large illustration of a cat and dog lying together on a rug-a seamless transition from one subject to the other. The lively narrative provides a copious amount of information, examining each species in human history, describing evolution and domestication, highlighting physical characteristics and behaviors, and finishing up with amazing facts about each animal.”

CONNECTIONS
This book will certainly appeal to animal lover and especially to dog and cat lovers. Students can read the book and share interesting stories on their own animals as well as identify what breed of dog or cat they might have.
*Read other books about animals like,
Jenkins, Steve. LIVING COLOR. ISBN 0618708970 and other books by Steve Jenkins such as
LOOKING DOWN. ISBN 0618310983