The Animal in Me: Is Very Plain to See »

Thomas D. Mangelsen grew up in Nebraska and opened up his first gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, in 1978."

THE ANIMAL IN ME is a picture book for all ages, from toddlers who are just learning to turn pages, to eager, first-time readers. This richly illustrated book encourages children to imagine just what kind of animal they most resemble when they are hungry, sleepy, playing, or even screaming. Animated imagery by award-winning photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen will have children participating in story time and even making up their own scenarios. From hummingbirds to tigers, chipmunks to swans, creatures and their unique behaviors are colorful and fun examples for children to learn more about themselves and the natural world around them.

Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz - Children's Literature

Children are encouraged to explore their emotions as they are compared to various animals. "When I am scared," for example, "I am like a white-tailed deer who is easily spooked." Other emotions include anger, curiosity and excitement. Each appears on a spread with a photograph, and often footprints of the animal, even sometimes of humans. The photographs are placed on different colored spreads with overlapping geometric shapes, one of which houses the few lines of text. The sharp photographs readily convey the appearance of the animal as well as the stipulated emotion, but the relative sameness of the backgrounds does not contribute to their effectiveness. A book to encourage talk about emotions, further study of the animals, and time for "good night" at the end. 2005, WestWinds Press/Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, and Ages 3 to 6.