100 Animals : Lift-the-Flap

by Steve Jenkins

Little ones will love to learn their first animal words in this sturdy and padded lift-the-flap board book by Caldecott Honor–winning artist Steve Jenkins. 

This padded word book showcases bright art to offer very young readers an interactive introduction to learning their first animal words. From the teal and green butterfly fish that lives under the sea to the brilliant blue macaw flying high in the sky, lift-the-flaps on each sturdy board page reveal how animals move, behave, survive, and thrive in their natural habitats.

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Science

14 pages, Board Book

Published February 23, 2021

About the author

Steve 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.

Reviews

[Tayler K · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are 100 animals--presumably; I did not count them.

That's about it. They're just hanging out in their squares and such based on habitat things. (Underwater, underground, treetop, airborne, desert, arctic, and indoor.)

There's a flap to lift on each page.

The color blocking/palettes are kind of fun and the illustrations are a nice mix of realism and color. I can't quite tell if they're all papercraft or if some are painted/drawn.

There's a fun amount of less-common animals too, like oarfish and hooded seal alongside the more traditional ones. Plus you get fun examples of broad categories like the vampire squid just labeled "squid" (although, it's not a real squid) and the gecko not being of the spokesperson variety but a leaf-tailed one.

I must say I don't enjoy having crickets and termites on the "indoor" spread.

Some of the flaps are fun, like the jumping armadillo (they do that when they're threatened) and the pangolin using its prehensile tail.

There's no additional information given about any of the animals though.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this padded board book, Steve Jenkins introduces young readers to one hundred animals, both familiar ones (like butterfly and shark) and lesser knowns (like macaw and yak). Crafted in Jenkins’ cut-paper style, portraits of animals are grouped on double-page spreads by habitat: underwater, underground, treetop, airborne, desert, arctic, and indoor. On each double spread, two flaps offer an interactive experience to learn more about the animals’ habitats and behaviors. (Preschool)

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An attractive interactive introduction to first animal words for very young readers.

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was only one flap to lift per page, so it definitely was not as much fun to interact with as other lift-the-flap books

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our two-year-old grandson likes this better than our one-year-old grandson. The former goes to it again and again, points at a picture and says "read this." Actually after a re-read, the one-year-old asks for it again and again, too, but more because he likes to lift the flaps and point to animals he recognizes.

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Young readers can learn about 100 different animals and where they live with this delightful lift-the-flap board book. This board book makes the perfect gift because it introduces young readers to a large variety of animals with vivid and colorful illustrations and young readers will enjoy checking under the flaps to see more details about the animal.
Reviewer #15