Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2008 Husband-and-wife team Jenkins and Page offer another look at the animal world, here examining species according to their various sibling relationships. Each spread focuses on a species or two, offering a tabbed notation that describes the gist of this species’ sibling arrangements (“Competition,” “Living together,” “Stepsisters and stepbrothers”) and a paragraph that describes the relevant sibling behavior; animals featured range from arachnids and reptiles to birds and mammals. The text is a little choppy and the theme is strained at times; however, this is certainly an idea likely to attract the attention of young readers, themselves intimately familiar with the complexity of growing up with siblings, and there’s a clear and useful message of diverse practices in the natural world on family matters. Jenkins’ renowned collage illustrations offer tactile portraits of teeming termites and wrinkly naked mole rats, fuzzy-edged bear cubs and crisply assembled armadillos. Add this to the couple’s ever-expanding oeuvre of inviting early biology, or slyly slip it into a thematic discussion of siblings. A closing spread of “animal facts” offers thumbnail descriptions of the featured critters’ habitat and habits. DS - Copyright 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2008 Gr 2-4-Realistic, handsome cut/torn paper collages form a visual lure for this attractive book on siblings and young in the animal world. Only children (giant anteaters), quadruplets (armadillos), families (elephants), and armies (termites) are just some of the creatures depicted and described. Brief paragraphs provide factual information on their behaviors and physical characteristics, some of which are further detailed in the "Animal Facts" pages (though the parthenogenesis of whiptail lizards is not addressed other than to mention the absence of males). Enough data is afforded to satisfy many children, and adults are offered some further readings to suggest to the insatiably curious. Eye-catching, and with an interesting approach to the animal world, this book should appeal to a wide variety of ages and interests.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2008 *Starred Review* Most talk about animal families focuses on the parent-child relationship, but this riveting picture book, illustrated in Jenkins’ signature style, is packed with amazing facts about how young animals nurture one other or compete for survival and leave home. Depicted in crisp, gorgeous, cut-and-torn–paper collages set against lots of white space, the subjects range from female African elephants that stay with the herd and help take care of their younger siblings, to two young grizzlies that grow up together, then fight one another until one must leave. Also pictured are millions of termite brothers and sisters, living together in a mound as tall as a four-story building. Readers will love sharing this, even if they can't sympathize with black widow spiders that eat their siblings. The sibling focus is a way to include a wealth of fascinating science, which is expanded in the detailed back matter that presents more facts about each animal. Children older as well as younger than the target audience will want to thumb through this fascinating picture book. - Copyright 2008 Booklist.