Never Smile at a Monkey by Steve Jenkins

Jenkins of the amazing paper art illustrations returns with a book dedicated to animals that may not seem dangerous.  The problem is, you do have to know the tricks of how to avoid danger with them.  Some of the animals in the book are surprisingly dangerous.  The cone shell will make you never look at sea shells the same way again.  Then you have the obviously dangerous animals like the spitting cobra and you get tips to deal with an encounter with them.  Turning each page is a delight as you get a surprise each time and then the treat of wondering what in the world the danger could be.  Great fun.

Jenkins is best known for his art.  Here it is as gorgeous as one has come to expect.  He manages to create tangible fur from paper, eyes that really seem to see, and somehow loses that flat paper feel of most collage.  One forgets it is art and starts to think of it as photography.  Jenkins also excels at writing informational paragraphs about the animals.  They are short, fascinating and here they are filled with adventure too. 

Highly recommended, this book belongs on all public and school library shelves.  A great science picture book with a great hook, this book is appropriate for ages 6-10.

Reviewed from library copy.

Also reviewed by A Year of Reading, TheBookNosher, A Patchwork of Books, and Fuse #8.