The Animal Toolkit

The Animal Toolkit
Author(s)
Co-Authors / Illustrators
Publisher
Age Range
6+
Release Date
August 30, 2022
ISBN
978-0358244448
Buy This Book
      
Did you know animals can use tools? In this fascinating book by award-winning pair Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, we learn all about what makes a tool a tool and the remarkable ways animals can use them to find food, protect their young, and more.
Until 1960, when Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee using a blade of grass to “fish” for termites, it was believed that humans were the only animal to use tools. Since her discovery, we’ve learned that many creatures use sticks, leaves, rocks, and other natural items as tools.

In this latest nonfiction picture book from Caldecott Honor–winning team Steve Jenkins and Robin Page, readers learn all about what makes a tool a tool—and the remarkable ways animals that use them to interact with our world. From the tailorbird, which repurposes spider silk to stitch a leaf into its nest, to the gorilla, which uses sticks to test water depth and build bridges, these animals are intelligent, innovative, and creative.

Using his signature cut paper illustrations, Steve Jenkins offers readers a closer look at these animals, their habitats, and their behaviors. In turns jaw-dropping, funny, and inspiring, The Animal Toolkit will fascinate animal enthusiasts and aspiring inventors everywhere.

Editor review

1 review
Informative and Engaging
(Updated: October 24, 2022)
Overall rating
 
4.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
4.0
Learning Value
 
4.0
Animal Toolkit shows how animals use everyday objects as tools in ingenious ways. Chimpanzees, for example, use sticks to get termites. A lot of the examples of animals using tools were new to me. I was fascinated with how Egyptian Vultures use a rock to open up Ostrich eggs and how Mandrill monkeys use hair as floss.
The layout of this book worked really well. Each animal and tool was given a page or two depending on the information. Numerous illustrations helped show how the animal used the tool. Around each illustration, there are small blurbs that provide the reader with fun and interesting information. I just wish that the background of each page wasn't black. For some of the illustrations, I felt like they got lost in the dark background. The end of the book gave more information on the animals featured. This is a great feature for the child who likes to seek out additional information on what they read.

Animal Toolkit is full of information and presented in a way that will keep the reader engaged.
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