Information Graphics: Animal Kingdom

Information Graphics

by Simon Rogers, Nicholas Blechman (Illustrator)

The first in a visually stunning series, Information Graphics: Animal Kingdom shows just how interesting and humorous scientific information can be. Complex facts about the animal kingdom are reinterpreted as stylish information graphics that astonish, amuse, and inform, and tabbed chapters make information fast to find. Researched by the Guardian’s Datablog founder and illustrated by the award-winning designer Nicholas Blechman, this is a book of the highest pedigree.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Childrens, Picture Books

80 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2014

About the author

Simon Rogers is the founding editor of the Guardian’s Datablog and has won numerous awards for his work, including a Royal Statistical Society’s award of excellence in 2012.

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love animal facts and over the years of having two children who also love animal facts, I've absorbed quite a few but I really enjoyed this one and found quite a lot in here to interest me.

The book is set out in a very clear way, with bright, simple but appealing illustrations. The dog section was very interesting. I didn't know that a dog wags it's tail more to the right if feeling positive and more to the left if feeling negative. I will have to look out for that on our dog with that wag you get when they know they've been up to something they shouldn't have. If you like statistics and comparing how much an animal eats in comparison to it's body weight, how long an animal can hold it's breath for or how far under snow a dog can detect and dig out a person, then this book is for you.

The topics covered are species, senses, record breakers, food and drink, family, habits, killers and man's best friend.

At 80 pages I would have liked a little more, I'm debating whether to pass this library book on to my daughter to read or buy her a copy for Christmas. Definitely worth seeing if your library stocks this.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with intriguing facts and visually appealing graphics, this book focusing on the animal kingdom has a lot to offer readers in search of something different. Relying on colorful tabs with symbols on the right-hand side of the book, readers can peruse short sections on animal senses, record-breakers, information on what various animals eat and their habitat. I was impressed with the current information since the section on habitats even acknowledges the effects of global warming on animal habitat. Most readers will enjoy the section on killers since clearly, not all animals are friendly and peace-loving. Adults can learn plenty of stuff from this book and this series. I certainly look forward to more since the information is provided in easy-to-digest snippets.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Information Graphics - Understand the facts in the blink of an eye.
This colorful, entertaining yet educational book comes in tabbed sections for ease of finding the information you want. Such sections as Species, Senses, Record Breakers, and so on. An encyclopedia of information on a small scale, but with a lot of what children might want to know. It may come as a surprise just how much can be covered in this book. With Simon Rogers' writing and research, Information Graphics and Nicholas Blechman's splendid contribution to format and illustration, the information is right before your eyes in graphic form, for instance the Hippo visible on the cover clearly shows that it has the largest mouth and the Pelican can just as obviously show that his mouth (beak) can 'hold more than his belly can'. The pages will hold up to wear and tear, made of stiff stock.

Not only will children learn about vertebrates and invertebrates, cold-blooded and warm-blooded, but such things as what animal can hold its breath the longest, what animal has the largest brain (no, it's not a human), how does a Hammerhead Shark see, what animal has the biggest mouth and which one has the longest tongue. Other sections can tell you how much water a camel can drink in what amount of time. Kids will love this book for both the graphics and the odd things they will learn. Recommended for children 6-9, I think some a bit younger and some a bit older myself because of the interesting facts. A great way to see the world of animals in a memorable way.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 7-year old loves the quirky and interesting facts about murderous spiders, how long crocodiles can hold their breath, or how much a hippopotamus can eat. The beautiful illustrations in this book are what make it special. The tabbed organization also makes for easy browsing as he is often drawn to the "world records" section. When I told him there were other books in the series he immediately said "I want them all!" Highly recommended for a child who is starting to starting to read without parental involvement.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Very informative with clear, eye-catching graphic illustrations.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute, quirky addition to the popular animal encyclopedia section of the library that young, reluctant readers can't get enough of. The font and color scheme are striking and engaging. However, the tabbed organization of information and the overall smaller size of this volume is both its strength and weakness. Some of the categories and illustrations do not seem as thoughtfully planned as others, and many of the headlines and quips seem geared towards adult humor and pop culture touchstones. The size while great for small hands, dwarf in comparison to analogous titles by larger publishers (think National Geographic or DK Visual Guides). Conversely, this book, in its trendy "infograph" format, would make for a great introductory guide on how to teach upper elementary and even middle school students how to organize information in an appealing and simply way for presentations, whether through science fair posters or platforms like "PowerPoint" which are being encouraged for use at ever earlier ages. This title, a volume in an ongoing series, is not built in the most traditional "book" sense; see the "table of contents" (or lack thereof) on this point. Overall, it's not a bad title and makes for an obvious quick pick. But simply put, this is an average collection of trivia and illustrations at best. Recommended for optional purchase - elementary and/or middle school.

[michelle abeln · Rating 5 out of 5]

This appealing science book makes learning about animals fun. The first in a new series, this title presents a huge amount of scientific information in a compact but visually entertaining way. The book is divided into tabbed sections, each about a different aspect of the animal kingdom, which makes finding information easy. Each chapter has a short introduction, following by pages of animal graphics. This format allows the author to deliver large amounts of information in a small space. The illustrations are very colorful, with crisp and bold images that still manage to convey scientific information in an easily understood format. The different chapters include information on Habitats, Species, Senses, Killers, and even a special section on Man’s Best Friend (dogs!). Although some students might miss the more traditional photography included in most animals books, most will enjoy learning about their favorite species through these amusing yet informative infographics.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent informational resource about the Animal Kingdom. This book is broken down into various sections like habitats, family, food and drink and so on, but each section is in easy to read infographics. This would be a great addition to any library. Recommended for ages 8-12.

[dutchgal]

Great book for my daughter, she loves reading the random facts in the book.