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Dogs and Cats
Are you a cat lover? A dog person? Either way, this book is for you! Read about how your favorite companion came to be a pet and how its body works. Then, flip the book over and find out about the other kind.
Once again Steve Jenkins takes children’s nonfiction to a new level. Here is an amazing book filled with great information, visual facts, and lots of animal history. The illustrations are so incredibly realistic, you’ll want to pet them!
Once again Steve Jenkins takes children’s nonfiction to a new level. Here is an amazing book filled with great information, visual facts, and lots of animal history. The illustrations are so incredibly realistic, you’ll want to pet them!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published May 14, 2007
13 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Steve Jenkins
135 books238 followersSteve was born in 1952 in Hickory, North Carolina. His father, who would become a physics professor and astronomer (and recently his co-author on a book about the Solar System), was in the military and, later, working on science degrees at several different universities. We moved often. Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and Colorado. Wherever he lived, he kept a menagerie of lizards, turtles, spiders, and other animals, collected rocks and fossils, and blew things up in his small chemistry lab.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
Because he moved often, Steve didn't have a large group of friends, and he spent a lot of time with books. His parents read to him until he could read himself, and he became an obsessive reader.
His interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist himself. At the last minute, he chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where he studied graphic design. After graduation he moved to New York City, where he worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with his wife, Robin Page, in their own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is his frequent collaborator — they've made sixteen children's books together.
Their daughter Page was born in 1986 and our son, Alec, two years later. They began reading to them when they were just a few months old, and Steve became interested in making children's books himself. My wife and I read to our two older children almost every night until hisdaughter was 12 or 13, long after they were reading on their own. It was, in many ways, the best part of the day.
In 1994 they moved to from New York City to Boulder, Colorado, where they work in a studio attached to their house, which was built in the 1880s and often functions as if it were still the 19th century.
Their youngest son, Jamie, was born in 1998. The questions his children asked over the years have been the inspiration for many of their books.
Librarian's Note: There is more than one author with this name in the Goodreads database.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 11, 2009
Steve Jenkins provides a delightful book of facts about two of humanities very best friends. When you are finished reading all about dogs, you are able to turn the book over in a similar format written about cats. It's almost as if you are able to get two for the price of one in this informational text. These two species even meet in the middle for a big spread where they are sharing space in total peace. There is just a ton of knowledge compiled into this book, which is topped off with really neat collages worth the purchase of this text itself.
Whether or not you are a fan of dogs and cats, you will be in awe with the incredible illustrations by this acclaimed author. I have to admit that it was also quite an ingenious idea to combine these two lovable animals into one book for making comparisons. Overall, it is truly a fun read and serves its' purpose as an educational text as well. Librarians will definitely want to add this one to their shelves, even though they may need seperate copies for both the cat and dog sections.
Whether or not you are a fan of dogs and cats, you will be in awe with the incredible illustrations by this acclaimed author. I have to admit that it was also quite an ingenious idea to combine these two lovable animals into one book for making comparisons. Overall, it is truly a fun read and serves its' purpose as an educational text as well. Librarians will definitely want to add this one to their shelves, even though they may need seperate copies for both the cat and dog sections.
December 30, 2010
I love Jenkins’ books, and I love dogs and cats. But I wasn’t sure if I’d be as impressed with a book by him about domesticated dogs and cats as I’ve been by his books about wild nature. I ended up loving this one as much as I’ve loved most of the others by him that I’ve read.
This book is so creative. I happened to see the dog side first so I started with dogs, but flip the book over and then you read about cats. You can start either way. There are really two cover illustrations for this one book. The information about dogs and about cats ends up meeting up right in the middle of the book.
This would be a perfect book for families to read before adopting a dog or cat into the family, and would also be useful even for families who already have companion dogs and/or cats. There is so much information about these species packed into this book. One cool thing is that in each section, there are small little blurbs that relate to what’s being written that are about the other animals, cats in the dogs’ section and dogs in the cats’ section. I admire Jenkins for being mutt friendly, anti-de-clawing of cats, etc. etc. and also for all he’s accomplished in teaching so much about dogs and cats, and their wild ancestors too, within the pages of this children’s picture book.
I guess parents should know that some potentially uncomfortable topics are covered. These include breeding/reproduction, Laika the space dog, etc.
The art, consisting of torn paper collages, many of the papers handmade in many different countries, is just amazing. His depictions of dogs and cats aren’t my favorite way I’ve ever seen them artistically, but I really enjoyed all the pictures, and the way they’re created is incredibly impressive. The animals in motion, I thought, were shown particularly well.
This book is so creative. I happened to see the dog side first so I started with dogs, but flip the book over and then you read about cats. You can start either way. There are really two cover illustrations for this one book. The information about dogs and about cats ends up meeting up right in the middle of the book.
This would be a perfect book for families to read before adopting a dog or cat into the family, and would also be useful even for families who already have companion dogs and/or cats. There is so much information about these species packed into this book. One cool thing is that in each section, there are small little blurbs that relate to what’s being written that are about the other animals, cats in the dogs’ section and dogs in the cats’ section. I admire Jenkins for being mutt friendly, anti-de-clawing of cats, etc. etc. and also for all he’s accomplished in teaching so much about dogs and cats, and their wild ancestors too, within the pages of this children’s picture book.
I guess parents should know that some potentially uncomfortable topics are covered. These include breeding/reproduction, Laika the space dog, etc.
The art, consisting of torn paper collages, many of the papers handmade in many different countries, is just amazing. His depictions of dogs and cats aren’t my favorite way I’ve ever seen them artistically, but I really enjoyed all the pictures, and the way they’re created is incredibly impressive. The animals in motion, I thought, were shown particularly well.
May 11, 2018
While I remember this book when it came out, I don't think I ever read through it before today. It is one of the least impressive works I have seen from Jenkins. Mind you, that still makes it better than many other nonfiction for children, particularly illustrated books. Stipulated, I could be prejudiced. It seemed to me that Jenkins put a lot more effort into his dogs than into the cats. The information in the book is adequate and presented in interesting ways As usual, the pictures are the best part of his books. I was glad to read the warning not to try dropping a cat at home to see if it can turn itself around in time before reaching the ground.
April 22, 2011
Delightful illustrations and a multitude of facts define Dogs and Cats. It’s actually two books in one: turn the book one way to read about dogs, and flip it upside down to read about cats. Children are always interested in animals, and our closest companions are especially popular subjects to learn and read about.
Issues covered include the history and domestication of dogs and cats, talents and attributes, lifecycle, and fun facts about individual animals.
I was quite pleased to see that Jenkins included some positive animal welfare-minded content in his book. He calls the surgical removal of claws “a bad thing to do to a cat” and promotes the joys of mutts:
Mixed-breed dogs are often smart, healthy, and even-tempered, and many dog owners prefer them.
Dog and cat overpopulation is not discussed, but one ramification of intensive breeding is:
When dog breeders try to create unusual looking dogs or exaggerate a breed’s features, they can create dogs with serious health problems.
The text goes on to cite the example of the English bulldog, many of whom are affected by breathing problems as a result of extreme breed traits.
Issues covered include the history and domestication of dogs and cats, talents and attributes, lifecycle, and fun facts about individual animals.
I was quite pleased to see that Jenkins included some positive animal welfare-minded content in his book. He calls the surgical removal of claws “a bad thing to do to a cat” and promotes the joys of mutts:
Mixed-breed dogs are often smart, healthy, and even-tempered, and many dog owners prefer them.
Dog and cat overpopulation is not discussed, but one ramification of intensive breeding is:
When dog breeders try to create unusual looking dogs or exaggerate a breed’s features, they can create dogs with serious health problems.
The text goes on to cite the example of the English bulldog, many of whom are affected by breathing problems as a result of extreme breed traits.
July 26, 2017
If you want to learn basic and important information about dogs and cats, with some comparisons, too, this is the book. It's Dogs and Cats, or Cats and Dogs, depending on which side of the book one is looking at. It's a book that explains about each, but you flip the book in the middle to read the "other" side.
When studying evolution one time, I gave my students the assignment to research the history of one dog, its origins and how it came to be the breed we know today. It was fascinating to learn what really was the "backstory" of these specific dogs. In this book, Jenkins writes some of the parts of how dogs descended from wolves, through circumstance of geography and later, human need. Each page answers some questions, like how one can tell "who's the boss?" through physical actions. Also, on each page, there is always a tiny silhouette of the "other", in this case, the cat, and telling that many of the cat's messages mean "leave me alone". There are other pages that are fun facts, special things about the dog (or cat), things that Jenkins wonders.
Of course, Jenkins' collages illustrate with both small and page-filling collages. It's a book to use for younger children to read and discuss together or for sparking an interest in older children to do further research.
When studying evolution one time, I gave my students the assignment to research the history of one dog, its origins and how it came to be the breed we know today. It was fascinating to learn what really was the "backstory" of these specific dogs. In this book, Jenkins writes some of the parts of how dogs descended from wolves, through circumstance of geography and later, human need. Each page answers some questions, like how one can tell "who's the boss?" through physical actions. Also, on each page, there is always a tiny silhouette of the "other", in this case, the cat, and telling that many of the cat's messages mean "leave me alone". There are other pages that are fun facts, special things about the dog (or cat), things that Jenkins wonders.
Of course, Jenkins' collages illustrate with both small and page-filling collages. It's a book to use for younger children to read and discuss together or for sparking an interest in older children to do further research.
November 10, 2009
This informational picture book is written for students in grades 2-6. Written by Steve Jenkins, an award-winning author, this book shares a lot of very interesting facts about both cats an dogs. The format of the book is very interesting. The front cover has a picture of the dog, while the back cover has an upside-down picture of a cat. As read starting from the dog side you learn all about dogs. Then when you reach the middle of the book you have to flip the book over and start at the beginning with the cat image now right side up. There are a number of places in the book that tells the reader to do this. Here is one interesting fact about cats: "Do cats always land on their feet? Please don't try this at home, but when a cat falls or is dropped upside down, it uses its balance and flexible spine to quickly turn right-side up and land on its feet. A cat can actually be hurt more seriously by falling just a short distance, because it may not have time to flip over..." Facts like that draw the reader in to learn even more. The picture look almost 3D because they are in a collage format.
April 13, 2022
A fun look at the differences between the worlds two most popular pets
Steve Jenkins takes the reader on a journey through the history of cats, how humans domesticated, them, what their body langue means, and all sorts of other things. When they finish that half of the book, they can flip it over and go read all those things about dogs.
Recommend for any second grade classroom or for families looking to teach kids about their own or neighbors pets and how to interact with them
Steve Jenkins takes the reader on a journey through the history of cats, how humans domesticated, them, what their body langue means, and all sorts of other things. When they finish that half of the book, they can flip it over and go read all those things about dogs.
Recommend for any second grade classroom or for families looking to teach kids about their own or neighbors pets and how to interact with them
December 3, 2017
Genre: Informational Non-fiction
Grades: 2-6
Perfect for students who love cats and dogs. Half of the book is dogs and the other half is all about cats. This book has great illustrations of each bread of dogs and cats. This would be a great tool for children to learn information about these animals for personal enjoyment or an animal report.
Grades: 2-6
Perfect for students who love cats and dogs. Half of the book is dogs and the other half is all about cats. This book has great illustrations of each bread of dogs and cats. This would be a great tool for children to learn information about these animals for personal enjoyment or an animal report.
August 27, 2020
Steve Jenkins is a master of non-fiction for juvenile readers and this book is no exception. If you read the book in one direction, it's all about dogs but flip the book over and start from the other direction and it covers the world of cats. Fun illustrations with basic information.
September 5, 2018
This beautiful book is designed with half about dogs, then turn it upside down and the other half is about cats. Wonderful illustrations and very interesting information.
December 12, 2017
a popular subject for children
August 5, 2013
About dogs:
1. The St Bernard is, on average, the heaviest breed. It weighs as much as 200 lbs.
2. The smallest breed, on average, is Chihuahua, standing at only 18 cms tall. It also lives longer than any other breed - 18 years or longer.
3. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. A single chocolate bar can kill a small dog.
4. Dogs dream.
5. First dog year = 15 human years. Second dog year = 9 human years. Each dog year after that = 4 human years.
* Finding out how quickly a dog can learn frome experience is one way of measuring its intelligence. For example, a dog might get reward by fetching a ball whenever a bell rings. How many times must this sequence be repeated before the dog understands what to do? Based on tests like this, some of the smartest dogs are Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, and Golden retriever. Most experts agree that the dumbest dog is the Afghan hound.
About cats:
1. When a cat rubs against a person's legs, it's not just being friendly. It is using a special scent gland on its head to leave a message for other cats that says, "This person belongs to me".
2. Cats spend 16 hours a day sleeping, and about one third of their waking time grooming themselves by licking their fur with their tongue.
3. Cats don't have a collarbone, so they can fit their bodies through a very small opening...anything bigger than their head.
4. Cats cannot see colour or distant details as well as humans, but their eyes are very sensitive to movement. Cats have more sensitive hearing than dogs. Cats also have an excellent sense of smell, though it is not quite as good as that of a dog.
1. The St Bernard is, on average, the heaviest breed. It weighs as much as 200 lbs.
2. The smallest breed, on average, is Chihuahua, standing at only 18 cms tall. It also lives longer than any other breed - 18 years or longer.
3. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs. A single chocolate bar can kill a small dog.
4. Dogs dream.
5. First dog year = 15 human years. Second dog year = 9 human years. Each dog year after that = 4 human years.
* Finding out how quickly a dog can learn frome experience is one way of measuring its intelligence. For example, a dog might get reward by fetching a ball whenever a bell rings. How many times must this sequence be repeated before the dog understands what to do? Based on tests like this, some of the smartest dogs are Border Collie, Poodle, German Shepherd, and Golden retriever. Most experts agree that the dumbest dog is the Afghan hound.
About cats:
1. When a cat rubs against a person's legs, it's not just being friendly. It is using a special scent gland on its head to leave a message for other cats that says, "This person belongs to me".
2. Cats spend 16 hours a day sleeping, and about one third of their waking time grooming themselves by licking their fur with their tongue.
3. Cats don't have a collarbone, so they can fit their bodies through a very small opening...anything bigger than their head.
4. Cats cannot see colour or distant details as well as humans, but their eyes are very sensitive to movement. Cats have more sensitive hearing than dogs. Cats also have an excellent sense of smell, though it is not quite as good as that of a dog.
May 5, 2013
The remarkable thing about this book is that he does so many things with the paper to give the cats and dogs realistic features. I enjoyed that. It appears Jenkins does his own design with maybe staff designers behind him.
The 'turn the book over' thing is just a gimmick and I'm not sure it actually helps the book any. Kind of interesting and made me pay attention to the bookness of the thing.
So I read this book at the same time I had the DK Eyewitness Cat book out on my Kobo ereader. Jenkins' book said cats have no collarbone, and the DK book said clearly that they DO have a collarbone. I went to the internet and found they were both wrong. What cats do have is unattached clavicles that enable the cat to collapse the collarbone structure to pass through narrow spaces. Come on guys, do the research! I found this more detailed information on wikipedia and in three other places. Because the dog and cat sub-genre is so thoroughly overdone, I guess people don't even consider doing careful research or going to the science. Any veterinary book on cats would have had this information.
The 'turn the book over' thing is just a gimmick and I'm not sure it actually helps the book any. Kind of interesting and made me pay attention to the bookness of the thing.
So I read this book at the same time I had the DK Eyewitness Cat book out on my Kobo ereader. Jenkins' book said cats have no collarbone, and the DK book said clearly that they DO have a collarbone. I went to the internet and found they were both wrong. What cats do have is unattached clavicles that enable the cat to collapse the collarbone structure to pass through narrow spaces. Come on guys, do the research! I found this more detailed information on wikipedia and in three other places. Because the dog and cat sub-genre is so thoroughly overdone, I guess people don't even consider doing careful research or going to the science. Any veterinary book on cats would have had this information.
May 7, 2014
Literary Awards: N/A
Book Level: 5.6
Interest Level: LG
Brief Summary:
Lovers of cats and dogs will enjoy discovering more about two of humanities best companions. In this nonfiction text, crafted with realistic illustrations and tons of great information, readers will love flipping the book over to learn about cats on one side and then flipping the book over again to learn about dogs on the other. Jenkins creatively designs Dogs and Cats to appeal to middle grades, using kid-friendly language to explore dogs’ and cats’ origins and how their bodies work.
Content Connections:
Science: Use this as a supplementary text while exploring information regarding cats and dogs.
English: Compare/Contrast dogs and cats on a Venn Diagram.
Book Level: 5.6
Interest Level: LG
Brief Summary:
Lovers of cats and dogs will enjoy discovering more about two of humanities best companions. In this nonfiction text, crafted with realistic illustrations and tons of great information, readers will love flipping the book over to learn about cats on one side and then flipping the book over again to learn about dogs on the other. Jenkins creatively designs Dogs and Cats to appeal to middle grades, using kid-friendly language to explore dogs’ and cats’ origins and how their bodies work.
Content Connections:
Science: Use this as a supplementary text while exploring information regarding cats and dogs.
English: Compare/Contrast dogs and cats on a Venn Diagram.
January 17, 2008
I read this book as part of my participation in the Bill Morris book evaluation seminar at ALA Midwinter.
This is a dual book, with Cats beginning on one end and Dogs on the other. Each page within the Cats section includes a little factoid about dogs, and vice-versa.
The torn paper illustrations are also very creative yet realistic. The information included in this book is not highly specialized, but does go beyond common knowledge. There are no substantial references or documentation of the information included, but I didn't feel this took away from the quality or authority of the information included.
Very enjoyable for cat and dog lovers alike!
This is a dual book, with Cats beginning on one end and Dogs on the other. Each page within the Cats section includes a little factoid about dogs, and vice-versa.
The torn paper illustrations are also very creative yet realistic. The information included in this book is not highly specialized, but does go beyond common knowledge. There are no substantial references or documentation of the information included, but I didn't feel this took away from the quality or authority of the information included.
Very enjoyable for cat and dog lovers alike!
September 23, 2012
Jenkins is my favorite nonfiction writer for kids, and I enjoyed this one, too. One of the reasons children will enjoy it is because of the design; halfway through you have to flip it over and start from the other side to read about one or the other. One of the funniest facts is that the world's fattest cat was a tabby tom at 46 pounds!!!!! There's a lot of information about cats and dogs that will help kids understand their household companions. I also enjoy his cut and torn paper collage illustrations.
June 17, 2015
There is so much information in this book and both my children found it fascinating. Steve Jenkins is one of my favorite authors. He makes reading and learning engrossing. I always learn something new when I read one of his books. I didn't know about Laika, the first dog to orbit the earth, until I read this book. I was able to research her and learn so much more about her life. This book is jammed packed with interesting information and the illustrations are amazing. Jenkins never disappoints.
November 20, 2007
Facts and great pictures make for a great book. Steve Jenkins has really done a great job with a topic that every kid loves! Dogs and Cats is a two sided book with one side dedicated to each beloved pet. Each side follows the same fact filled formula. The book is illustrated beautifully with animals pieced from different types of paper. The small details in the book make it a great one to read as a family and for kids living in an ask.com fast fact world.
February 9, 2013
This book has an unusual format, a book about cats on one side and then if you flip the book, a book about dogs on the other. The two books have identical sections that describe the characteristics and origins of our beloved pets.
I liked the section that included interesting facts the best, as well as the two-page spread in the middle where the two books come together. The mixed media illustrations are nicely detailed. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
I liked the section that included interesting facts the best, as well as the two-page spread in the middle where the two books come together. The mixed media illustrations are nicely detailed. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
July 8, 2014
One could read it for the information, I suppose, although I can't imagine why. But I looooove what Steve Jenkins can do with some paper. As it is, I've read pretty much the same factoids in a dozen other books. Get it for the art.
November 11, 2012
Picture Book 6
This was suck a cute book. I read the "Dogs" and "Cats" side, i liked how if you were reading the dogs side that it had a few cat facts through it, and vice versa. And I love the style of Steve Jenkins.
This was suck a cute book. I read the "Dogs" and "Cats" side, i liked how if you were reading the dogs side that it had a few cat facts through it, and vice versa. And I love the style of Steve Jenkins.
August 27, 2013
Henry and I read this book on August 26th when we talked about cats and dogs. Book is not a storybook, but more an informative source on cats and dogs. Beautiful illustrations. Henry says he prefers dogs over cats because dogs can fetch.
April 29, 2015
Plot: Book filled with great information, visual facts, and lots of animal history. The illustrations are so incredibly realistic
Setting: United States
Characters: Dog and Cat.
Point-of view: Third person.
Theme: Learning about the science of animals.
Style: No particular style.
Setting: United States
Characters: Dog and Cat.
Point-of view: Third person.
Theme: Learning about the science of animals.
Style: No particular style.
January 8, 2008
Paper collage illustrations draw readers in--learn facts about cats, or flip the book over to find dog facts.
July 21, 2008
Read all about dogs and then flip it to read all about cats. Recommend for grades 2+
January 7, 2009
Great format, but clinical and factual rather than fun. Perhaps that was the author's intent, but I was looking for more.
July 13, 2009
Dogs on one side, cats on the other in Steve Jenkins's fantastic paper cut outs.
March 19, 2009
I loved half of the book (the dog side ) and strongly disliked the other.
December 11, 2013
I've been a fan of Steve Jenkins' beautiful illustrations for a long time. This two-way book showcases his artwork along with readable, informative text about these two favorite pets.
August 12, 2010
The pictures were my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews